My sister saw a TV program about a new IVF procedure that uses the cytoplasm of a younger woman with the egg of an older woman. This was done in order to use the older woman's DNA while getting the advantage of the younger woman's cell. Can you tell me about this procedure? How can I find literature on this method and who is doing it?

-- Candace

Cytoplasmic transplant is still experimental. While studies have shown that eggs may continue to develop after cytoplasm from a younger woman's eggs are transferred, much is not yet known. The hope is that transfer of cytoplasm from the younger woman's egg will resuscitate or revitalize the egg from an older woman.

We know that eggs from older women are more likely to have genetic abnormalities, but it's not certain just when these chromosomal problems develop. Do the abnormalities occur gradually as the woman ages, or only after the egg is released at ovulation? We don't know. If the chromosomes are healthy and the genetic errors occur after ovulation, then perhaps this cytoplasmic transfer can help protect the chromosomes and enable the older woman to use her eggs with a reasonable chance of success.

We have taken only the first steps -- that is, to see whether cytoplasm can be transferred from one egg to another and whether the egg will still grow. Data are not yet available to indicate the likelihood of egg survival and the chances for developing a healthy pregnancy. Maybe in a few years this technique will prolong a woman's reproductive years. But for now, it is just too soon to know if this technique is a major breakthrough or just one more blind alley.