Recent scientific studies have suggested that the number of eggs in their ovaries at birth may be quite less. This is in sharp contrast to the belief held earlier that ovaries contain all the eggs they will ever have at birth itself. This has been confirmed through various studies including a study that was published in Nature magazine. These studies claim that ovaries have some specific and rare stem cells that have the ability to replenish the eggs. This spells good news for women having fertility problems. Also, this finding can be used for devising ways to delay menopause.
But Kui Liu who is a molecular reproductive biologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has worked on mice and did not find any evidence of the stem cells that were reported in Nature medicine. In their study, Liu had genetically engineered the mice in a way that except the eggs, sperm and cells that were destined to become gametes, all other cells will glow green. She realized that the cells destined to become gametes did not divide the way in which stem cells do. Her findings were published online on July 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
But Evelyn Telfer, a reproductive biologist at the University of Edinburgh states that this does not refute anything as Liu appeared to be studying different cells that were much larger and could already be non-dividing cells. Liu has stated that her aim of doing the study is not to prove anybody else wrong. All that she and her colleagues are trying to do is to ensure that scientists take another look at the whole issue. They need to look for more evidence in order to confirm or negate the fact of stem cells being present in the ovary.