Hope for cancer patients: Bengaluru scientists explore way to save eggs lost inside the ovary

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The probe   focuses connected  preantral follicles - tiny   structures successful  the ovary that contain immature eggs. These eggs are usually   mislaid  arsenic  portion  of a earthy  process   and ne'er  scope   maturity. 

The probe focuses connected preantral follicles - tiny structures successful the ovary that contain immature eggs. These eggs are usually mislaid arsenic portion of a earthy process and ne'er scope maturity.  | Photo Credit: Photo for practice only

Scientists astatine the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP) successful Bengaluru are moving connected a method to prevention eggs that are people mislaid wrong the ovary astatine an early stage, before they tin ever beryllium utilized for reproduction.  

If successful, the attack successful the aboriginal signifier could assistance sphere fertility successful crab patients by safeguarding eggs earlier attraction damages the ovaries. The aforesaid exertion could besides beryllium utilized successful carnal breeding to nutrient much embryos from genetically invaluable livestock, according to scientists. 

The probe focuses connected preantral follicles - tiny structures successful the ovary that contain immature eggs. These eggs are usually mislaid arsenic portion of a earthy process and ne'er scope maturity.

Speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Artabandhu Sahoo, Director, ICAR-NIANP, said scientists are present trying to retrieve these immature eggs early, turn them successful laboratory conditions, and usage them to nutrient embryos.

At present, assisted reproduction techniques (ART) currently rely mainly on mature eggs, oregon already formed embryos, which limits how galore embryos tin beryllium produced from a azygous animal. 

Dr. Sahoo explained that this is important due to the fact that much than 99.9% of eggs wrong the ovary degenerate naturally. By tapping into this early-stage reserve of eggs, researchers could summation the fig of eggs disposable for technologies, specified arsenic IVF and cloning, which necessitate eggs to make embryos. Growing these follicles successful the laboratory besides allows scientists to closely control the situation successful which the eggs develop, helping amended their prime and survival. 

NIANP researchers, the manager said, person already made advancement successful applying this exertion to livestock. A squad led by Dr. P.S.P. Gupta, Head of the institute’s Animal Physiology Division, has produced the first buffalo embryo utilizing eggs grown from preantral follicles. The institute has besides developed freezing techniques for preantral follicles successful sheep arsenic portion of a DST-sponsored Indo-Hungary collaborative project, and is presently moving connected preserving embryos produced utilizing this method. 

Globally, unrecorded offspring utilizing preantral follicle technology have so acold been achieved lone successful mice, and adapting it for ample home animals is simply a enactment successful progress. 

Wider applications ahead

Scientists told The Hindu that producing a ample fig of embryos is cardinal to extending this occurrence to home animals. Beyond carnal breeding, the exertion could besides assistance make embryo banks, enactment conservation efforts for endangered species, and supply a reliable mode to survey the effects of biology pollutants and medicines connected pistillate fertility. This could yet beryllium utilized to assistance crab patients sphere fertility by storing ovarian insubstantial and immature eggs earlier attraction begins, scientists added.

Published - February 16, 2026 12:34 p.m. IST

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