Scientists at the University of Newcastle are applying for a licence to create embryos with 'three parents', in order to prevent genetic conditions caused by faults in the 'powerhouses' of the cell. Doug Turnbull and Mary Herbert have submitted an application to the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which will be considered over the next few weeks. They want to remove the nucleus from a fertilised egg, and transplant it into another, unfertilised egg that has had its own nucleus removed. In this way, they hope to replace the fertilised egg's faulty mitochondria - tiny structures found in a cell that are responsible for energy production.
Mitochondria contain around 35 genes, and several inherited diseases are caused by mutations in this DNA. The researchers hope that by transferring the nucleus of a cell that has faulty mitochondria to a healthy egg cell, they will be able to develop a new treatment for these mitochondrial disorders. But critics are alarmed by the move, since it would result in embryos that have a tiny amount of DNA from the egg donor, as well as its own parents. 'By creating a child with three genetic parents, these scientists are taking the first step towards genetic engineering of human beings', said David King of Human Genetics Alert. However, Leon Kass, chairman of the US President's Council on Bioethics, says this label is a red herring. 'I think that it is for my own tastes stretching the idea of genetic engineering', he told New Scientist magazine, but added that he would 'be inclined to be cautious' in this area of work.
Herbert says that the team will not apply for a licence to use the technique to treat patients until 'we can demonstrate absence of known harmful effects'. She also said that they respected the views of people who feel that no research should be carried out on human embryos, but added that 'it could be argued that there is a moral obligation to reduce suffering in children at risk of inheriting mitochondrial disease'. Last year, a group of researchers based in China reported that they had used the technique to try and help a woman undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF), whose fertilised eggs would not develop past the two-cell stage. However, none of the embryos survived beyond the 29th week of pregnancy, for reasons apparently unrelated to the method of their creation.
Meanwhile, researchers in Taiwan say they have found a way to improve the chances of IVF success for some women, by using mitochondria taken from their own cells. The technique, presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Philadelphia, involves injecting mitochondria taken from cumulus cells, which surround developing eggs in the ovary, and injecting them into the woman's eggs in the laboratory. Of 71 IVF treatment attempts using the technique, 35 per cent resulted in a pregnancy and 20 babies have been born, reported team leader Chii-Ruey Tzeng, of Taipei Medical University. 'I think it can rescue a lot of patients', he said, although other fertility experts say more research is needed into the safety and effectiveness of the method.
[ Full Article ]
US researchers have managed to grow mouse sperm stem cells in the laboratory. They have also transplanted these cells into infertile mice, which have then produced mature sperm and fathered offspring. The scientists, based at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, say their achievement opens up research into possible new treatments for male infertility. It also provides a way in which the genetic information of the sperm could be potentially be altered, prior to fertilisation. The study appears in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Spermatogonial stem cells, which give rise to sperm cells, have proved difficult to grow outside the body. In the latest study, the scientists developed a culture solution that contained the precise combination of cellular growth factors required by the stem cells. The researchers say that by manipulating the growth conditions, they might also be able to get the stem cells to grow into mature sperm in the laboratory. This could lead to new treatments for male infertility in humans, say the team, especially since the factors needed to grow the mouse stem cells would probably also foster the growth of human sperm.
The research could also help male cancer patients who are too young to store semen before undergoing treatment that could leave them infertile. The ability to grow sperm stem cells in the laboratory could also provide an alternative method for growing embryonic stem (ES) cells. Team leader Ralph Brinster thinks that it might be possible to turn the sperm stem cells into ES cells, which could then be used to produce all the different types of body cell. Other groups have already shown it is possible to use mouse ES cells to grow sperm, which have been used to fertilise an egg.
The study also opens up the possibility of altering the genetic material of sperm before fertilisation, providing a new method of creating genetically altered animals and, potentially, humans. 'If each parent in a couple carries a similar defective recessive gene for a disease, for example, it should be possible in the future to harvest the male spermatogenic stem cells, correct the gene in culture and implant the stem cells back into the male to produce normal sperm', says Brinster, adding 'the couple could then conceive a healthy child'.
[ Full Article ]
Bone marrow stem cells can produce new eggs in adult mice, US researchers say. A team based at Massachusetts General Hospital has shown that the eggs of mice rendered sterile with a drug can regenerate within 24 hours, and that these germ cells originate from bone marrow. The findings, published in the journal Cell, could help scientists develop new treatments for infertility or for delaying the onset of menopause.
The study builds on earlier work published by the group, which challenged the long-held belief that female humans, mice and other mammals are born with a finite supply of eggs. Jonathon Tilly and his colleagues found evidence of 'ovary stem cells' in mice - cells that are capable of producing fresh eggs throughout the animal's reproductive life. Initially, scientists thought that these stem cells must be present somewhere in the ovaries themselves. However, the new research indicates that stem cells found in bone marrow are producing germ cells that can 'home in' on the ovaries and start producing new eggs.
The researchers first showed that when they destroyed egg-containing follicles with the drug doxorubicin, hundreds of new eggs appeared within 24 hours. The team then identified germ cell 'markers' - proteins produced specifically by cells destined to become egg cells - in samples of mouse bone marrow. 'Everyone had missed finding female germline stem cells because they are not in the ovaries, where everyone would have looked for them', said Tilly.
The scientists also transplanted bone marrow from healthy mice into mice sterilised with two chemotherapy drugs, cyclophosphamide and busulfan. They found that new egg cells appeared in the ovaries of the treated mice one to seven days after transplantation, with egg cells still present 11 months later. The researchers got similar results when they transplanted bone marrow from normal mice into animals incapable of producing mature germ cells. Finally, they showed that the germline stem cells appear to travel from the bone marrow to the ovaries via the blood.
US fertility expert Kutluk Oktay said the study was 'rock solid evidence for the revolutionary concept that eggs can originate in bone marrow', adding that 'the most important follow-up study now is to confirm whether these eggs can resolve into pregnancies'. The scientists also found three germ cell markers in bone marrow and blood from women aged 23-36. 'This may launch a new era in how to think about female infertility and menopause', said Tilly. He said that in theory, bone marrow cells could be harvested from women and stored for twenty years. 'Then you put them back in, and they are going to do exactly what they are supposed to - find ovaries and generate new eggs', he added. Other experts welcomed the research, but cautioned that the findings need to be replicated.
Serono Symposia International (http://www.seronosymposia.org), a non-profit organization, is dedicated to the development of healthcare professionals through the provision of ethical, well balanced and cutting edge medical education that aims to improve clinical outcomes. We are an accredited CME provider by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the American Nurses Association's American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. We also have had our congresses accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), the Royal College of Physicians and the Italian Ministry of Health.
We are proud to present:
The human oocyte: genetics, cell signalling and in-vitro manipulation
February 11, 2005
Turin, Italy
A bulk of knowledge about human embryo has been obtained in the last twenty years in IVF science. Surprisingly, it has not been paralleled by a similar knowledge on the human oocyte, despite it is widely recognized that embryogenesis is deeply affected by oocyte quality. The main reason for this is probably that all mature oocytes are currently used to get fertilization in IVF, and selection is applied to embryos in order to choose the best among them to be transferred in uterus. This widely practiced "embryo selection" has prevented the need to acquire skills in "oocyte selection". However in some countries, new laws and rules on IVF are forcing doctors to move toward oocyte selection and the need to identify valid tools to select the best oocytes to be used for fertilization is increasing. This training course will focus on the morphological and genetic criteria that have been proposed for oocyte selection, as well as on specific procedures involving human oocytes, like oocyte cryopreservation and in vitro maturation.
At the end of this training course the participants will be able to:
- Identify the morphological and genetic criteria suitable for the selection of the top quality human oocytes;
- Get knowledge about human oocyte cryopreservation techniques and clinical results;
- Discuss the clinical applications of in vitro maturation of human oocytes.
For more information and/or registration please go to the Serono Symposia International website at
Italy's highest court has approved a series of referendums on whether parts of its controversial new fertility law should be overhauled. However, the constitutional court rejected calls for a referendum on completely scrapping the law, instead allowing a public vote on some of its elements. These will include rules limiting fertility treatment to heterosexual couples, and those governing embryo research. The country's anti-clerical Radical Party, which collected the 500,000 signatures needed to call for the referendum, is reportedly outraged by the decision.
Italy's laws, said to be the most restrictive in Europe, have hardly been out of the news since they were passed last December. Before they were passed, the country had a reputation for being the 'Wild West' of fertility treatments due to its lack of restrictions, and many people travelled there to take advantage of controversial services they could not get in their own countries.
Now, the law restricts the provision of fertility treatments to 'stable heterosexual couples' who live together and are of childbearing age, and who are shown to be clinically infertile. Research using human embryos is prohibited, as well as embryo freezing, gamete donation, surrogacy and the provision of any fertility treatments for single women or same-sex couples.
The law also says that no more than three eggs can be fertilised at any one time, and that any eggs fertilised must all be transferred to the uterus simultaneously, increasing the risk of multiple births. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and prenatal screening for genetic disorders have also been banned. According to BBC News Online, fertility clinics across Europe have seen an increase in the numbers of Italian patients seeking treatment since the legislation came into force.
Radical Party secretary Daniele Capezzone called the referendum decision 'a scandal', adding that he expected the mainstream political parties to try to pre-empt the referendum by creating new legislation to replace the old law. Supporters of the law saw the judgement as a partial victory, since it opens the law to changes but will mean it is not completely overturned. Christian Democrat Dorina Bianchi, one of the law's main proponents, called the decision 'fair and balanced'.
The government must now hold the referendum between 15 April and 15 June, and at least 50 per cent of the electorate must vote if it is to have legal weight. However, several politicians from various parties said it would now be better for parliament to amend the law, rather than put complex questions to voters.
[ Full Article ]
Lynn A. Schmidt, Administrative Projects Specialist, WiCell Research Institute 16 February 2005
WiCell Research Institute, Madison, Wisconsin, announces two additional Spring sessions of its "Introduction to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Culture Methods" course. This hands-on, basic techniques training is offered over two full days, with an additional half-day option available at no additional cost. The optional half day will include freezing mouse embryonic feeder cells and human embryonic stem cells. In addition, students may use this day to consult with the instructors on any protocols covered during the first two days of class. PLEASE NOTE: This class does NOT cover directed differentiation of HES cells or the derivation of HES cell lines. Enrollees have a choice of the following new sessions: May 16-18 and April June 13-15, 2005. Additional information and on-line registration are available at www.wicell.org.
Researchers at the University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium, say that a second woman there has had a successful ovarian tissue transplant. The 28-year old woman - who had ovarian tissue removed in 1999 before undergoing radiotherapy for sickle-cell anaemia, a treatment that can render women infertile - has started to menstruate again after the transplant procedure.
Strips of ovarian tissue were removed from the woman before the radiotherapy treatment. These were cut into sections and frozen in liquid nitrogen. In August 2004, some of the tissue was thawed and transplanted back to one of the woman's non-functioning ovaries and the woman's menstrual cycle returned in January 2005, showing that the tissue transplant was successful.
Last September, the first baby was born following an ovarian tissue transplant, to another Belgian woman, 32-year-old Ouarda Touirat. At the time, there was some doubt about whether the restoration of Ms Touirat's menstrual cycle, and thus her fertility, was a result of the transplant procedure or a natural return of the ovary to its functioning state.
Professor Jacques Donnez, leader of the Belgian research team, presented the new research at the annual conference of the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in London. The research was first reported in Venice at the 12th World Congress on Human Reproduction. Donnez said that the woman was not yet pregnant, but her menstrual cycle had started again and the signs were that her reproductive function had returned. He told the conference that the woman was delighted with how her treatment had gone so far: 'She didn't menstruate for two years and the first time she started bleeding again she knew she was still a woman and she was very pleased', he said. He also said that 'we are hoping that she will now be able to become pregnant like the last patient, but we do not know how long that may take'.
Professor Alan Trounson, a fertility expert and stem cell researcher at Monash University in Australia, described Professor Donnez's latest success as 'fantastic', adding 'it gives strong credibility to what he has been doing'.
The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (STC) is deeply divided over its inquiry into Human Reproductive Technologies and the Law. Only half of the ten committee members put their names to the summary report, published today alongside a Special Report detailing the committee's disagreements. The dissenting MPs say the report adopted 'an extreme libertarian approach from the start', and claim that it is 'unbalanced, light on ethics, goes too far in the direction of deregulation and is too dismissive of public opinion and much of the evidence'.
The report follows over a year of evidence-gathering by the committee, both from expert scientists, clinicians, ethicists and other interested parties, as well as an online public consultation. On the basis of its findings, the committee has published 104 conclusions and recommendations, on subjects ranging from the welfare of children conceived using IVF to the regulation of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), embryo research and social sex selection. Much media attention focussed on the recommendation that on balance, the STC found 'no adequate justification for prohibiting the use of sex selection for family balancing'.
As well as concluding that sex selection for social reasons should be permitted, other controversial recommendations included lifting the ban on research into germline gene therapy, and permitting the creation of hybrid or 'chimeric' human-animal embryos for research purposes. It also recommended scrapping the current legal requirement that clinics take into account the welfare of any children born following assisted reproduction, concluding that such measures 'discriminate against the infertile'. In addition, the report calls for changes to the regulation of PGD, which is currently licensed on a case-by-case basis, saying that it sees 'no reason why a regulator should seek to determine which disorders can be screened out using PGD'. However, it stresses that clinical decisions 'should operate within clear boundaries set by Parliament and informed by ethical judgements'.
The summary report was released by MPs Evan Harris, Andrew Murrison, Brian Iddon, Desmond Turner, Robert Key and Ian Gibson, the committee's Chairman. The dissenting MPs were Paul Farrelly, Kate Hoey, Tony McWalter, Geraldine Smith and Bob Spink. There was reportedly disagreement over the basic thrust of the report - with its emphasis on evidence-based decision-making by patients and their doctors, rather than a regulator - as well as over specific issues. It called for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to be disbanded, and replaced by a proposed Regulatory Agency for Fertility and Tissues, which would focus on setting technical and management standards for IVF clinics and embryo research laboratories.
The five MPs also recommend that a new Human Genetics, Fertility and Tissue Commission be set up, to expand the remit of the existing Human Genetics Commission. This body would provide advice and recommendations on issues which it considered had societal implications - such as embryo selection for social reasons and preimplantation tissue typing - but would not provide clinical guidance. The STC's report will feed into a second review and consultation, which is being undertaken by the Department of Health (DH), and will be followed by a public consultation this autumn.
British people conceived using donated egg, sperm or embryos will be able to ask for identifying information about the donor when they reach the age of 18, following a law change that came into force on 1 April 2005. Fertility experts have welcomed the move towards openness, but fear that the legislation will worsen the current shortage of donors in the UK. It could also lead to an increase in the use of unregulated internet sperm agencies, and the number of couples travelling for treatment in other countries, they say.
Fertility clinics say that they have already noticed a decline in the numbers of people coming forward to donate gametes, since the announcement, made last January, that the rules on anonymity were to be changed. Speaking on the day the new law came into effect, Health minister Stephen Ladyman said: 'We think it is right that donor-conceived people should be able to have information, should they want it, about their genetic origins and that is why we have changed the law on donor anonymity'. On the predicted shortage of donors, he said that 'we are working hard with the National Gamete Donation Trust (NGDT) to encourage more people to become donors and have launched an awareness campaign which aims to change public perceptions of donation'.
British agencies offering to collect and supply fresh, rather than frozen sperm do not have to be licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), so will not be covered by the new regulations. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, internet company ManNotIncluded.com says that it will import sperm from countries where donors can donate anonymously and have it delivered to a woman's home. Founder John Gonzalez said that by using sperm sent from abroad in a 'constantly thawing state', ManNotIncluded will be able to supply anonymous samples directly to women in the UK. However, a spokesman for the HFEA warned that women using unregulated services could not be certain of the source, suitability and efficacy of the sperm they received.
Laura Witjens, chair of the NGDT, said evidence from countries that have already removed donor anonymity, such as Sweden, shows that it is no longer young students who donate sperm. After an initial fall, she said that the profile of donors changes: 'Instead of young single men who do not have children, it tends to be older men, who do have children and who see that what they are doing is creating a family, who come forward', she explained. But Allan Pacey, chair of the British Fertility Society, warned that 'there is now serious concern about the future of fertility treatments using donated gametes'.
Technological innovations and advances in genetics will enhance the ability to both evaluate and improve embryonic competence. This 3-day, in depth course will review what is known about the basic reproductive processes that represent rate-limiting steps in human reproduction. The participant will understand the full spectrum of these limits, starting by reviewing clinical data and extending fully through the molecular level. Methodologies currently being used to evaluate embryonic competence will be reviewed including technical requirements, biologic material, equipment, and personnel. Future technologies and screening strategies will then be presented, such that clinical reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists, and scientists will have a full understanding of the technologies as they become clinically available in the next several years. The course will provide opportunities to interact with expert faculty. In addition, two adjunct hands-on workshops in blastomere preparation for PGD are being offered.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists, basic scientists, and other related health professionals will benefit from this course.
OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this program, the participant should be able to:
- Understand the genetic basis of human embryonic competence;
- Explain how epigenetic factors affect human development;
- Understand endometrial and oocyte determinants of implantation;
- Appreciate the limitations and promise of new technologies in IVF.
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Richard T. Scott, M.D., Scientific Chair
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey, USA
Michael M. Alper, M.D.
Boston IVF and
Harvard Medical School
Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
ORGANIZING SECRETARY
Serono Symposia International, Inc.
1099 Hingham Street
Rockland, MA 02370 USA
Telephone 800-283-8088 or 781-681-2352
Fax: 781-681-2915
BLASTOMERE PREPARATION FOR PGD
HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS
An adjunct hands-on workshop session will be offered on Friday, May 13, 2005 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. A second, concurrent, hands-on workshop session will be offered on Saturday, May 14, 2005 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Each workshop session is limited to 16 participants. The didactic portion of the workshop will address the theory and practice of preimplantation genetics in the IVF setting. The majority of the workshop will be spent in hands-on training in polar body, blastomere, and trophectoderm biopsy, cell spreading, and fixation techniques. Course participants will be acquainted with current equipment such as microscopes, micromanipulation equipment and laser system to incorporate biopsy and fixation techniques immediately into their IVF program. All work will be closely supervised by expert faculty. Workshop attendees will be provided with an additional syllabus with protocols and technical materials and either dinner (Friday) or lunch (Saturday), and refreshments. Microdissection equipment, display capability, and biopsy and fixation microscopes will be generously supplied by MidAtlantic Diagnostics, Inc.
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Plenary Session
Richard Scott, Session Chair
3:00 ? Registration
4:00 pm
4:00 pm Introductory Remarks
Richard Scott, Scientific Chair
4:15 pm Welcome Address
The Future of ART: What Are Our Most Critical Technologies and Issues?
Paul McDonough
5:15 pm Embryo Research: The Legal, Ethical, and
Regulatory Limitations
Alta Charo
6:00 pm ART and Multiple Gestation: Have We
Succeeded or Failed?
TBD
6:45 pm Welcome Reception
Friday, May 13, 2005
7:00 am Continental Breakfast (provided)
Session I ? Reproductive Competence
Gary Smith, Session Chair
8:00 am The Spin from Spindle Abnormalities and Meiotic Errors
David Keefe
8:45 am Is There More to Male Reproductive
Competence Than Fertilization?
Kathy Miller
9:30 am Embryo Fingerprinting: A Prospect for Embryo
Diagnosis
Richard Scott
10:15 am Break
Session II ? Laboratory Evaluation of Reproductive Competence
Douglas Powers, Session Chair
10:30 am Embryonic Development: An Awakening of Gene
Expression
Douglas Powers
11:15 am PGD: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Richard Scott
11:45 am Embryo Morphology: More Than Meets the Eye?
Marlena Duke
12:30 pm Lunch
Session III ? Evolving Technologies in ART
Jason Barrit, Session Chair
2:00 pm In Vitro Maturation: Is It Mature Yet?
Gary Smith
2:45 pm Microfluidics: A New Biomedical Engineering Technique for ART
Gary Smith
3:30 pm Break
3:45 pm Oocyte Cryopreservation: Technologies, Safety, and Applications
Tom Toth
4:30 -
5:15 pm Ovarian Tissue Preservation: Challenges for the Future
Jacques Donnez
_________________________________________
5:30 ?
9:30 pm Blastomere Preparation for PGD
Hands-on Workshop
Saturday, May 14, 2005
7:00 am Continental Breakfast (provided)
Session IV ? Offspring from ART
Michael Alper, Session Chair
8:00 am Epigenetics: What the Genome Never Told Us
TBD
8:45am Imprinting Disorders in ART: Risk or Association?
James Toner
9:30 am Nuclear Transfer: Promise for the Future or
More Smoke and Mirrors?
Jason Barrit
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Can We Demonstrate that an Embryo is
Normal?
Marcelle Cedars
11:15 am Embryo Donation: What Are the Stumbling Blocks?
David Keefe
12:00 pm Lunch
_________________________________________
12:30 ?
4:30 pm Blastomere Preparation for PGD
Concurrent Hands-on Workshop
Session V ? Evaluating and Managing Endometrial Sufficiency
James Toner, Session Chair
1:30 am Assessing Implantation Potential
Richard Paulson
2:15 pm Non-Traditional Markers of Endometrial
Receptivity: Are They Ready For the Clinic?
Bruce Lessey
3:00 pm Break
3:15 pm Progesterone and ART: Fact and Fiction
James Toner
4:00 -
4:45 pm Beyond the HSG: New Imaging Technologies for
the Fertility Specialist
Elizabeth Puscheck
Sunday, May 15, 2005
7:00 am Continental Breakfast (provided)
Session VI ? Contemporary Issues in Follicular Stimulation
Richard Scott, Session Chair
8:00 am GnRH Antagonists: Are Outcomes Impacted?
Alan Copperman
8:45 am LH: Is There a Threshold and a Ceiling?
Zeev Shoham
9:30 am Break
Session VII ? Adjuncts for ART
Michael Alper, Session Chair
9:45 am How Can We Really Optimize IVF Outcomes?
Michael Alper
10:30 am Impact of Mental Health on ART Outcome: Strategies for Intervention
Alice Domar
11:15 am Acupuncture: The Yin and Yang for IVF
Michael Graubert
12:00 pm Closing Remarks
Michael Alper
Adjourn
This program is supported in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Serono, Inc.
All Serono Symposia International, Inc., programs are organized solely to promote the exchange and dissemination of scientific and medical information. No forms of promotional activities are permitted. There may be presentations discussing investigational uses of various products. These views are the responsibility of the named speakers, and do not represent an endorsement or recommendation on the part of Serono Symposia International, Inc.
If you require special assistance (wheelchair, auxiliary aids) or special dietary requirements, please indicate and we will contact you. ___ Yes
Mail or Fax to: Registrar: Advancing the ART
Serono Symposia International, Inc.
1099 Hingham Street
Rockland, MA 02370 USA
FAX 781-681-2915
Or you can register online at www.seronosymposia.org
SPEAKERS
Jason A. Barrit, Ph.D.
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York
New York, New York, USA
Marcelle I. Cedars, M.D.
UCSF Women?s Health
Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility
San Francisco, California, USA
R. Alta Charo, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin Law School and
Department of Medical History and Bioethics
University of Wisconsin Medical School
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Alan Copperman, M.D.
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York
New York, New York, USA
Alice D. Domar, Ph.D.
Mind/Body Center for Women?s Health
Boston IVF
Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
Jacques Donnez, M.D., Ph.D.
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and
Catholic University of Louvain
Brussels, Belgium
Marlena Duke, MSc
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York
New York, New York, USA
Michael D. Graubert, M.D.
Palmetto Fertility Center of South Florida
Miami, Florida, USA
David L.Keefe, M.D.
Division of Reproductive Medicine and Infertility
Women and Infants Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
and
Tufts - New England Medical Center
Division of Reproductive Medicine and Infertility
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Bruce Lessey, Ph.D., M.D.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Paul G. McDonough, M.D.
Medical College of Georgia
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Augusta, Georgia, USA
Kathleen Miller, BCTS
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey, USA
Richard J. Paulson, M.D.
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Division
University of Southern California School of Medicine and
University of Southern California Infertility Center
Los Angeles, California, USA
R. Douglas Powers, Ph.D.
Boston IVF
Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, and
Boston College, and
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Elizabeth Puscheck, M.D.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Zeev Shoham (Schwart), M.D.
Reproductive Medicine and Infertility Unit
Kaplan Hospital
Rehovot, Israel
Gary D. Smith, Ph.D.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Division Assisted Reproductive Technologies Laboratory
University of Michigan Health System
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
James Toner, M.D., Ph.D.
Atlanta Center for Reproductive Medicine
Woodstock, Georgia, USA
Thomas L. Toth, M.D.
Vincent Memorial in Vitro Fertilization Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
ACCREDITATION
Physician: Serono Symposia International, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.
Serono Symposia International, Inc., designates this educational activity for a maximum of 20.5 category I credits towards the AMA Physician?s Recognition Award. Four (4) additional category I credits may be claimed for workshop attendance. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.
Laboratory Professional: Application will be made to the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) for Professional Enrichment Education Renewal (PEER) contact hours.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The official language of the Symposium is English.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
The registration fee for Advancing the ART is US $550 on or before April 21, 2005 and US $650 after April 21, 2005 for a full registration. The registration fee is US $450 on or before April 21, 2005 and US $550 after April 21, 2005 for trainees, students, and fellows. This fee includes: all plenary sessions, three continental breakfasts, two lunches, one reception, refreshments, and course book.
BLASTOMERE PREPARATION FOR PGD
HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS
The registration fee for the hands-on workshop offered Friday, May 13, 2005 is US $150. The registration fee for the concurrent hands-on workshop offered Saturday, May 14, 2005 is US $150. This fee includes: one dinner (Friday) or lunch (Saturday), refreshments, and course materials. The workshop curricula are identical. Attendance at each workshop is limited to the first 16 participants.
Payments may be made by check, money order, American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All completed registrations will be acknowledged by mail. Cancellations will be assessed a US $50 administrative fee and must be received no later than May 1, 2005.
LOCATION
Loews Miami Beach Hotel
1601 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, Florida
33139
Tel: 305-604-1601
www.loews.com
HOTEL AND TRAVEL INFORMATION
Situated in the heart of the culturally diverse and fabulously hip art deco section of South Beach, the Loews Miami Beach Hotel offers innovative cuisine, efficient, friendly service and an elegant setting. Combined with sunshine, ocean breezes and a pristine beach, the hotel amenities include an oceanfront pool, private beach, in room internet access and a fitness center.
A limited block of rooms has been reserved for this meeting at a special rate of $229/night (single/double, USD) plus applicable tax, which is currently 13%. For reservations, telephone the hotel directly at Tel: 800-235-6397. We recommend that you register at the hotel early to secure a room. Reservations made after
April 21, 2005 are on a space-available basis.
AIR TRAVEL
We are pleased to offer discounted fares to our attendees through our air partner American Airlines. For your convenience, you may book these fares through your travel agent, or by calling our travel agent BTI/World Travel at 800-637-7872, or through American Airlines directly at 800-221-2255. Please be sure to mention the Meeting Index #17667 to take advantage of these low fares.
