I'm going to post a series of reports about the recent WPATH conference that I was fortunate to attend. It was in Bangkok Feb 14-18 and had over 600 delegates worldwide.
I'm posting in the transgender open area as I feel the topics are of wide interest.
I'm a little wary as the conference was a place for experts in their fields to present, my caution is that not all people who access boards such as Susan's regard experts as relevant; particularly if the experts opinion differ from their own.
I'm a professional scientist, as are others here, and feel very comfortable in listening to experts and am capable of making informed decision. I do not mean that rudely to anyone.
'Experience of uterus transplantation from mothers to daughters' was a plenary session by Liza Johannesson MD PhD. She is accepted as an invited speaker at the ANZPATH conference in October 2014.
Liza has worked in this field for some time using animal models and summarized the ethical and immunosuppression problems inherent in this technique.
A summary of the field is here: http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/136/6/671.full
The first human child using his technique should be born this year (hopefully healthy for all concerned).
At the moment this is not applicable to trans*women but the technical problems have been identified, and birth by section appears practical. Liza did not foresee any more problems for a fully hormonally reassigned, structurally suitable transwoman to succeed in this process. Obviously financial implications are massive, as is the availability of a willing donor.
But it is a hope for the future of young trans*women.
Too late for me :'(
Thank you for posting this Cindy.
We have had several topics in the past couple of years positing whether such a thing was possible. I look forward to the advances that will come from medical science and technology.
Very interesting.
Thanks Cindy
Your Rock Jockey.
Sounds great to me, even if it's too late for me as well.
wait Im not sure I understand ,,, are you telling me that in the future we too will be able to have kids with this?
well that would be sweet...but I can only imagine the cost of that...should be more than 50-100k...
anyway Im 19 , I wonder if maybe in 10-15 years this will become possible ,,,or else its too late for me too XD
buut if I want to do something like this Id need to start saving money today XD
I wouldn't dwell on that idea, yet it would be totally awesome. That said, 10 years mean much to medicine and when I take into account what was available 10 years ago, it might be possible when you're 30.
At least I see a pool of doners of wombs, FtMs! If they even sell it off it can help to reduce the cost of their hysto and top surgery! Maybe one day I can give them my stupid parts in return!
Let's also not forget that while it's still aways off, advancements in genetics as well as 3D printing organs and parts, means that there's a chance one day that Transwomen will be able to have their own uterus' grown and transplanted, with their own DNA. Like I said, it's a long way off, but still a possibility one day.
Quote from: Colleen♡Callie on February 27, 2014, 05:14:46 PM
Let's also not forget that while it's still aways off, advancements in genetics as well as 3D printing organs and parts, means that there's a chance one day that Transwomen will be able to have their own uterus' grown and transplanted, with their own DNA. Like I said, it's a long way off, but still a possibility one day.
sadly I've seen a lot of opposition to that for so called moral reasons.
To which part?
Any part really, just like stem cell, but this thread isn't the place for that discussion.
Quote from: Xhianil on February 27, 2014, 04:48:59 PM
At least I see a pool of doners of wombs, FtMs! If they even sell it off it can help to reduce the cost of their hysto and top surgery! Maybe one day I can give them my stupid parts in return!
The best tissue matches come from close relatives.
But that would be a new wrinkle for the old "swap meet."
Quote from: Jamie de la Rosa on February 27, 2014, 06:41:40 PM
The best tissue matches come from close relatives.
But that would be a new wrinkle for the old "swap meet."
best isn't always possible.
they can take all my bits, but i wanna have theirs in return.
The rejection problems mean that a live related donor would probably need to be essential. Looking at the kidney donor stats the best match possible is required for long term survival of the transplant. The issue becomes even more of a problem if pregnancy ensues as the anti-rejection drugs will have profound effects on fetal development.
It is an ethical mine field of course.
Quote from: Colleen♡Callie on February 27, 2014, 05:14:46 PM
Like I said, it's a long way off, but still a possibility one day.
But the pure fact that it is possible gives hope. If I had the option to be a full featured female in - let's say - a year from now, I'd gladly say yes. I'd gladly take all that rejection and whatever from any people if I could feel the wonder of my own child growing inside of me. But since that part of femininity will never become reality, I fear that I could regret my decision. (Becoming father might be less painful then becoming a never-to-be-mother, even if I still feel female on the inside.)
Quote from: Cindy on February 27, 2014, 11:30:49 PM
It is an ethical mine field of course.
Some time ago birth control was an ethical minefield, too. Ethics will adapt to any new science. At least I hope so.
The benefit of lab grown parts is they can be made from your genes and be a 100% match. They have already printed out a complete ear, grown a complete set of lungs, as well as many other smaller things. As they would be your tissue you wouldn't require anti-rejection meds. It is an ethically charged issue as said, but the benefits greatly outweigh the moral objections, which is why we really haven't seen it slow down much.
Furthermore the objections aren't nearly as strong as they were against stem cell research, as they do not require accessing pre-natal stem cells. Meanwhile, patients in need of a new organ will not require the long wait and uncertainty of getting a donor that matches, and a lifetime on anti-rejection meds. The organ will be grown and 100% be the patients own tissue.
Right now the tech exists and is very promising, but being new it has a bit to go before it is used medically. But I fully believe it will be in our lifetime. Wait a little bit longer and it'll be available to the trans* community. However, that has ethical issues as well, at least for Transwomen. There are no examples of an YY baby, and no one knows what defects it could cause. A bit of genetic alteration might be needed to ensure transwomen only pass along their X chromosome. Which is a bit outsidevwhat is possible today.