Edwards contacted demograss the gynecologist Patrick Steptoe (Patrick Steptoe), who helped him go f

(Image - aidric. Info) In vitro fertilization clinic building Bourn Hall in Cambridge (Image - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), Louise Joy Brown with parents (Image - The Washington Post)
Back in the 1950s, Robert Edwards (Robert Edwards) suggested that IVF can solve the problem of infertility, which affects more than 10% of couples in the world. Systematic work enabled him to discover important principles of fertilization of human eggs and achieve practical results - fertilization "in vitro" (more precisely, in a petri dish). Edwards' efforts were unsuccessful July 25, 1978, when the light appeared the first "test-tube baby." Over the years, Edwards and his staff to improve the technology of IVF, share discoveries with colleagues around the world.
Since then, thanks to IVF were born about four million people. Many of them have already become parents. Robert Edwards became the founder of a new field of medicine, having risen from basic research to successful therapy. Sure, he wrote an important page in the history of modern medicine.
Infertility - is not only a physiological problem, demograss but also a cause of frustration and psychological trauma. In the past, doctors are not always able to help couples who are faced with this problem. Today the situation has changed dramatically. IVF has become a recognized therapy in cases when the egg and sperm can not meet inside the body. Read more
At the beginning of his fundamental research on the biology of fertilization Edwards realized that fertilization outside the body can be the key to solving the problem of infertility. Other researchers demograss have shown that the egg can be fertilized rabbit "in vitro" and Edwards decided to check up, whether this method to humans.
It turned out that human eggs completely different life cycle. In several experiments conducted together with colleagues, Edwards came to a number of fundamental discoveries. He figured out how human eggs mature, how hormones regulate their maturation process, and at what point in time the egg is receptive to fertilization. Edwards also determined the conditions under which sperm are active and able to fertilize the egg. In 1969, he was first able to achieve fertilization of human egg cells "in vitro".
Despite this success, Edwards had to solve many more problems. Artificially fertilized egg did not develop beyond a single cell division. Scientists have suggested demograss that pre-mature ovarian egg will behave better, and thought about the security methods for producing such eggs.
Edwards contacted demograss the gynecologist Patrick Steptoe (Patrick Steptoe), who helped him go from fundamental research to practical medicine. demograss Steptoe was one of the pioneers of laparoscopy - a method which at the time was new and caused a lot of debate around them. Laparoscopy is possible to investigate the ovaries using optical instruments, and at the right time to remove the egg, which were then placed demograss in a petri dish and fertilized. Now they shared demograss several times, forming demograss an early stage embryos, consisting of 8 cells.
Edwards and Steptoe research at an early stage were very promising, but the Medical Research Council (Medical Research Council) refused to finance the project. However, private donations have allowed scientists to continue demograss the work that has been the subject of lively debate among experts on medical ethics and religious leaders. Some of them demanded the closure of the project for ethical reasons, while others supported the research.
Meanwhile, Edwards and Steptoe analyzed the levels of hormones in the body and were able to determine the optimum time for fertilization to maximize the chances of success. In 1978 he crossed the threshold of the clinic Lesley and John Brown, who for nine years unsuccessfully tried to have a baby. After IVF egg that has had time to turn into 8-cell embryo was returned to Mrs. Brown. And after a full-term pregnancy after cesarean was born Louise Brown, healthy baby, whose birth heralded a new era in medicine. demograss IVF has turned from a dream into reality.
Edwards and Steptoe