As a way of introduction, I'd love to reiterate this particular statement that has been said continually:
Age is nothing but numbers
Well; medically, this statement has not seen to hold much sway before now. This is because, aging affects everyone, even in the area of female conception.
As women age, there is a decline in their fertility, and their ovaries release less amount of eggs (ova) as the year passes. Between 45-50 years (it varies in women), the process of menopause starts, and the ovaries would've run out of ova.
But there's a great news here, the process of menopause can be reverse. Thanks to emerging medical science. Now, menopause is really not the end of conception.
Pausing Menopause
Aging without menopause is no longer a wild fairy tale or a scene from sci-fi; it has found practical application in this era.
Before now, the closest therapy to elongate the fertility age of women was the process known as "egg freezing" (Mature Oocyte Cryopreservation).
In this process, mature ova are exteriorized from the ovaries; these ova are frozen (cryogenically) and kept to be used later. These frozen ova can be unfrozen at anytime, fertilized with spermatozoa (in the lab), then implanted into the uterus of the woman (through the process of IVF).
Though this process extended the window of opportunity for women; who by one reason or the other; may not be able to start conception early. But this kind of procedure; firstly, is very expensive. Then it carries potential risks.
That is why alternatives were sought to present a better option for women.
The alternative solution being presented here is the idea that menopausal women can be made to be pregnant, using their own genetic material to reverse the process of menopause. Now, this is the mystery of medical science; but we would be looking at this mystery holistically.
Mystery of medical science
We may have known that there is a healing property of the blood that facilitates the healing of wound. A team of researchers from Sfakianoudis lab (led by professor Kostantinos Sfakianoudis) have come up with an idea to leverage on this healing property of blood.
The researchers harvested samples of blood from female humans. These samples were centrifugated to separate and isolate the PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma). After the isolation, the PRP was then injected back to the subjects (the injection was done directly into the uterus and ovaries). When this is done, it was observed that the reproductive system began a self-healing process; thus reversing the process of menopause.
Randomized trials have been done with over 180 female subjects, 27 of which are peri-menopausal and menopausal female humans (between 34 years and 51 years), which has shown considerable success rate.
Here's a real life scenario:
A female subject "X" (name withheld) from Germany, has been unable to conceive again after her first child over 7 years ago. She had also experienced 6 failed IVFs. But after receiving this PRP treatment, she was able to conceive and deliver a baby girl; at over 40 years of age.
Time will not permit me to share other success stories that have been birthed by this idea; including the restoration of menstruation to a woman who last menstruated over 5years ago.
Extending the fertility window
The success of this research will, no doubt, create an extension in the fertility window of women. Though this treatment has not been administered to any female subject older than 52years. In the nearest future, the fertility of women will no longer be age-limited.
But the question here is:
Will it be safe to put women that are over 70years; for example, through the process of conception and delivery? Your answer is as good as mine.
Thanks for reading
References for further reading: Ref1, Ref2, Ref3, Ref4, Ref5