Scientific advances are unlocking a wide range of alternatives to IVF

From refined artificial insemination and microsurgical sperm extraction to experimental uterine transplants, scientific innovation is rapidly advancing potential fertilization technologies. But they come along with costly trials, some ethical dilemmas, regulatory issues, and more.

IVF procedures fertilize eggs outside the body in a laboratory dish

In vitro fertilization is a complex and expensive set of procedures that potential parents dealing with infertility or genetic disorders may turn to when other methods are unavailable. IVF births account for 2% to 3% of all live births in the US annually.

Stem cells become specialized cells through the activation or silencing of specific genes

After fertilization, when a sperm cell fuses with an egg, the resulting stem cell is described as totipotent—capable of transforming into any type of body cell or embryonic structures (e.g., placenta). Once differentiated into multipotent cells, they can only specialize further within specific cell type families, such as hematopoietic cells that become platelets and red and white blood cells.

How to turn any cell of the body into a stem cell

Scientists have developed techniques allowing them to 'reprogram' any cell in the body into an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell, which can be used to create either more stem cells or specialized cells for use in experimental medical treatments. This page gives readers a brief introduction to the history of iPS cells, what researchers are studying with iPS cells, and challenges associated with iPS research.

Mitochondrial DNA swapping can occur before or after fertilization

Mitochondrial replacement therapy can be conducted with four different techniques, with varying genetic material transferred depending on the approach. Maternal spindle transfer, one common method, involves transplanting the nuclear DNA from a mother into an unfertilized egg from a donor. The donor egg is then fertilized and implanted into the mother's uterus using in vitro fertilization. Another major approach, pronuclear transfer, does the genetic swapping after the mother's egg has already been fertilized. This order of operations may be uncomfortable for some individuals, but the success rate with this technique is higher.

Follow an IVF procedure from lab to transplant

What happens once eggs are harvested from an ovary? How does an embryo form within a petri dish? This detailed video offers a glimpse of the transformations eggs experience as women age, and how sperm are injected into eggs in some forms of IVF treatment.

‘Hope for Healing’: The first-ever use of an in utero stem cell treatment

In 2023, researchers at UC Davis performed the first-ever fetal stem cell transplant, attempting to cure a case of spinal bifida prior to childbirth using stem cells derived from the placenta. The trial, and others including an effort to treat muscular dystrophy, highlight the potential power of stem cell therapy.

Four frozen embryos in the US were created via 3-parent IVF technique

Columbia University researchers created four embryos using mitochondrial replacement therapy for four female patients who didn't want to pass on mitochondrial diseases to their children. Yet US law restricts the researchers from implanting the embryos so they remain frozen. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Embryonic stem cells can develop into any other cell type in the body

Embryonic stem cells emerge around five days after fertilization, during the blastocyst stage of embryonic development. At this point, the embryo consists of about 100 to 150 cells and forms a hollow structure, and these cells are the ultimate source of all other cell types during fetal development.

How to consider the ethics of 3-parent IVF, which is illegal in the US

Ethical concerns with this controversial procedure include that a little bit of a child's offspring would be from a third person and that the decisions made with this pregnancy will affect numerous generations, making a permanent change to the gene pool.

A new AI-assisted reproductive technique is finding 'hidden' sperm cells for those with very low sperm counts

Known as the Star system—for Sperm Track and Recovery—it uses artificial intelligence to help identify and locate "hidden" sperm in men with a rare infertility condition called azoospermia. The condition affects about 1% of men, and these individuals have sperm counts low enough that the individual spermatozoa in their ejaculate may be undetectable. In late 2025, the first baby was born after the child's parents used this assistive technique to locate sperm.

A step-by-step overview of the IVF process

In-vitro fertilization involves a sequence of complex steps to move from egg production to birth. This include stimulating egg production in the ovaries, egg harvesting and fertilization outside the body, embryo culturing and transfer, and methods to support in and increase the likelihood of full-term pregnancy.

3-parent baby approach may help women with infertility

Though the topline promise of this approach is avoiding passing on mitochondrial diseases, some researchers and companies have been eyeing its potential for helping with female infertility, since faculty mitochondria may contribute to the condition. Recent research suggests this approach could be promising.

There are three types of stem cells, each with different properties

Embryonic stem cells are "blank slates" that can change into any other type of cell. Adult stem cells can become specialized cells to replenish the supply or repair injury, while induced pluripotent cells are "reset" by scientists and used in clinical and medical applications.

IVF was long considered controversial and ethically dubious

In spite of its wide acceptance as a form of reproductive assistance today, and its role in helping millions of people have children, in vitro fertilization was once considered a controversial threat to society. One magazine went as far as to describe the procedure as "the biggest threat since the atom bomb."

How do stem cells actually work?

Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can develop into various cell types while also making exact replicas of themselves. This amazing ability has made stem cells a candidate to treat a wide variety of diseases and conditions—though the vast majority of potential therapies remain in the research stage.

'Artificial embryos': The hidden steps in forming a spine

Somitogenesis is the process by which segmented body structures like vertebrae form in embryos. While the process is well understood in animals like mice or zebrafish it is difficult to study in humans. But now, researchers have created a model of somitogenesis, using pluripotent stem cells, called an axioloid.

Scientists have demonstrated IVF to help critically endangered rhinos

Scientists have used the technique to create embryos from eggs harvested from captive southern white rhinos and implanted into a southern white rhino. They hope to use this proof of concept to eventually use IVF to revive the population of northern white rhinos, which are extinct in the wild and have no living males left, using a precious reserve of frozen embryos and a surrogate southern white rhino mother.

Scientists using gene therapy recently managed to regenerate retinal cells in the lab—a breakthrough for mammals that could potentially lead to future treatments for human retinal diseases.

Gene therapy can occur inside the body, but it can also be completed outside the body—with scientists treating cells in the lab, and then those corrected cells are transplanted back into the body.

AI can aid fertility treatments, from helping select egg candidates to laboratory automation

Reproductive AI technologies are already here, from processing vast amounts of data to helping clinicians identify the healthiest embryos for implantation. It could be a boon to the fertility industry, and help mitigate the shortage of experienced embryologists.

How personalized gene-editing saved a baby's life

KJ Muldoon had a 50% chance of surviving a genetic mutation until doctors developed a one-of-a-kind gene-editing therapy. In an interview with one of the researchers behind the treatment, learn what it will take to make personalized genetic medicine possible for everyone.

IVF is legal across America, but some worry that state bans could curtail this reproductive technology

This reproductive technology is available across the US, but if states take action to prohibit the discarding of unused embryos or pass related legislation, it could affect access to IVF. Laws prohibiting IVF or effectively outlawing the procedure by defining personhood as being conferred at the moment of conception have been under discussion in several states in recent years, including Ohio, Virginia, and Texas.

3-parent IVF removes most—but not all—faulty mitochondria

The process scoops out about 99% of the mother's mitochondrial DNA—replacing it with that of a donor woman—but because that roughly 1% is still in the system there is still a small chance of disease for the resulting child or future generations. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

The science and ethics of artificial wombs

Artificial wombs may be able to help preterm babies survive their early entry into the world and possibly curb the long-term adverse health effects associated with such premature birth. This article dives into the current ethics and science behind artificial wombs and ectogenesis, which is when a fetus develops in artificial conditions.

Eight British children have been born via mitochondrial replacement therapy

In July 2025, a decade after British lawmakers signed off on allowing three-parent IVF, scientists announced that eight healthy babies had already been born using this approach. The news was included in a pair of research articles published in a peer-reviewed journal that noted the oldest kids were already more than two years old, and that they were hitting developmental milestones as expected. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Without 3-parent IVF, women carrying faulty mitochondrial DNA have few options for children

Women who are carriers of mitochondrial diseases that wish to have children without those conditions cannot be biological parents without three-parent IVF. The alternatives are to adopt or have a child via egg donation.

What conditions can be treated with stem cells?

Stem cell research is a global enterprise, and much of the work is being done in Europe. This page gives readers a good sense of the medical conditions stem cell researchers in Europe focus on, and the specific research challenges they address. This page also offers links to in-depth information about many of the research projects.

Stem cells can reboot the ability of cells to repair themselves

Stem cells—special cells that can self-renew and evolve into new cell types—may provide a path to address aging. Instead of repairing aging cells, stem cells can replace a cell's "repair kit," effectively rebooting the internal processes of tissues to a more youthful state.

Induced pluripotent stem cells are "reprogrammed" cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells are used in a great deal of stem cell research, but many people are still unfamiliar with exactly what “iPS” cells are. This video provides a clear (and short) explanation of iPS cells for non-experts, and offers insights into why scientists are interested in these cells.

A 2024 court ruling has had ripple effects for frozen embryos

The Alabama Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that embryos created through IVF are legally children has had a chilling effect on the fertility industry. A few centers for reproductive assistance paused egg fertilization, and others are questioning where the legal argument will lead. The decision has some surprising implications for the future of IVF technology, including techniques that haven't yet been invented.

Calculate your chance of success for IVF treatments

The efficacy of in vitro fertilization procedures varies widely based on age, health history, genetics, and more. This CDC calculator provides an estimate of success rates based on your personal information, relying on thousands of reported outcomes across the US.

Synthetic biology transforms cells into custom DNA foundries

At companies like Ginkgo Bioworks, researchers are reprogramming cells to act as workshops that can create custom molecules, such as medicines and fertilizers, by stitching together DNA sequences—often in novel combinations—before inserting them into an organism's genome.

About 250,000 patients accessed assisted reproductive technologies in 2022

In 2022, 251,542 patients tried assisted reproductive technologies—most commonly IVF—resulting in more than 98,000 infants. Those children represent around 2.6% of the babies born in the US.

The first successful IVF pregnancy was in the United Kingdom in 1978

Gynecologist Patrick Steptoe and his collaborator Robert Edwards, a biologist, attempted to fertilize a human egg cell in a petri dish 101 times before finally succeeding. This resulted in the birth of Louise Brown—at the time referred to as a "test tube" baby—in 1978, who was born into the spotlight.

Stem cell therapies

Stem cells' special attributes interest researchers developing new therapeutic tools for a variety of health problems. Much of this research is done with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This page offers a snapshot of research programs funded by the NIH and the health problems those programs focus on.

The scandal that rocked stem cell research

In 2014, a Japanese research group published a paper suggesting ordinary cells could be reverted to pluripotent stem cells by subjecting them to external stressors. The results generated interest but could never be replicated. The lead researcher was accused of fraud, and the group’s supervisor committed suicide.

See how to make a baby with 3 parents, a process called mitochondrial replacement therapy

This primer video dives into the science of mitochondrial disease risks, how this controversial mitochondrial replacement technique can work, and why proponents say this reproductive advance—already legalized in the UK and Australia—is needed in the United States.