# Nuclear Transfer



## jenn17 (Jun 13, 2017)

Hi all, just wondering if anyone has explored the option of nuclear transfer as an alternative to donor eggs? i listened to a webinar on it last week and spoke to the head embryologist in the clinic about it. It sounds great and a way to have your genetic child but at the same time i am terrified that i would be a guinea pig as its still seems to be at trial stage and not legal in most countries. Ukraine and i think Cyprus are unregulated so that's why it can be offered as a treatment to women who have had issues with embryos progressing to blastocyst stage. I would love to know if anyone else has looked into this or even heard of it! I understand its can be offered in the UK but only to prevent the transmission of a mtDNA disease.


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## ryukenden (Nov 10, 2019)

Hi
Do you mind sharing the webinar link? I am interested to learn more about it.
Thanks


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## jenn17 (Jun 13, 2017)

Hi yes it's https://www.eggdonationfriends.com/nuclear-and-spindle-transfer-ivfwebinars/


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## JeffieH (Feb 13, 2019)

I had this treatment and I’d seriously caution anyone considering this route. You’re completely right that it is unregulated and you are also right in that you are paying to be a guineapig. But in actual fact that guinea pig is your unborn child and once you realise the true risks involved, there’s no way you’d want to run that risk.

The international fertility community has called for a moratorium on this treatment due to known and unknown risk. One of the known risks is premature aging in 25% of animal tests using these methods. We weren’t told of this particular risk by the clinic even though the evidence was there at the time. They did admit that the risks  are unknown but in a sales-y way which makes light of it. I was blinded by my desire for my own genetic offspring and didn’t truly consider the risk that the child will develop defects and health problems as it grows up. Thankfully we don’t have to live with that fear. My treatment resulted in some embryos but they were non-viable. I was sad at first but then I became aware of the risks and the cavalier cowboy attitude this one particular clinic was taking with the treatment. Not only is there no peer reviewed research (which was the red flag we ignored in our desperation) but any released data is vague and unscientific - aimed at the pop science crowds via Tedtalks etc rather than medical journals. 

I know this seems like a quick fix to infertility and there’s so much info out there which suggests it is safe. But the people writing about it are using second hand information which was carefully edited to present a positive story. Unless you dive into the world of science and medical journals, you’ll find that there’s no evidence that this is safe. There’s no international body which has the power to restrict those erroneous claims of success but as I mentioned above, the community of fertility specialists are cautioning patients from going down this route and have asked the clinics performing the transfers to stop, citing very clear reasons why. The lack of any meaningful response from the clinics performing these treatments demonstrates to me their disregard.


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## miamiamo (Aug 9, 2015)

JeffieH - thanks for sharing your experiences and opinion x


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