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Womb transplant in sheep

Prague: Scientists have paved the way for human womb transplants after successfully transferring a uterus into a sheep. The operation proves that a womb can safely be removed and stored before being transplanted back into an animal. Tests on the animal showed that the uterus was not damaged during surgery and continued to function normally. If the technique can be adapted to humans, it could give some women their only chance of becoming pregnant. A small group of women are born with a condition called Rokitansky syndrome, which leaves them without a uterus. More women are left infertile following life-saving surgery for cancer. A patient who received a womb transplant would only have the organ for a maximum of two years, having it removed on the birth of the child. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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