13/04/2024
At least 12 million babies have been born thanks to in vitro fertilisation (IVF), but how did we reach this miraculous milestone?
In the 1950s, British scientist Robert Edwards began his research on the biology of fertilisation and soon realised that fertilisation outside the body could be used to treat infertility. He discovered important principles for human fertilisation including how human eggs mature, and first succeeded in accomplishing fertilisation of human egg cells in test tubes – or more precisely, cell culture dishes – in 1969.
Despite his breakthrough, there was a problem that a fertilised egg could not develop beyond a single cell division. Edwards suspected that eggs that had matured in the ovaries before removal would function better, and looked for possible ways to obtain such eggs in a safe way.
His collaboration with gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe enabled IVF to grow from experimental to practical medicine. Together, they used laparoscopy – a technique pioneered by Steptoe – to remove eggs and put them in a cell culture before adding s***m, which enabled the fertilised eggs to form into early embryos.
On 25 July, 1978, Louise Brown, the world’s first “test tube baby” was born. IVF treatment began the previous year when a fertilised egg was developed into an embryo and returned to her mother, Lesley Brown. Louise’s birth marked a major milestone in reproductive medicine and gave hope to millions of people struggling with infertility.
Edwards and Steptoe established the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridge – the world’s first centre for IVF therapy – and refined their technology. By 1986, 1,000 children had already been born following IVF at the clinic.
Today, IVF is a sophisticated and widely accessible fertility treatment option that has allowed millions to experience the joy of parenthood.
Learn more about Robert Edwards: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2010/edwards/facts/