Urine-derived Fertility Hormones can Cause Brain-wasting Disorder

Scientists have stated that women who are injected with certain fertility hormones are at a higher risk of developing the human form of mad cow disease. This treatment is prescribed to stimulate ovulation. Scientists were studying the presence of prions (protein bits) in urine-derived hormones because some of these hormones are extracted and purified from the urine of pregnant or post-menopausal women. They found that the risks of these urine based fertility drugs could outweigh its benefits. Prion proteins are present naturally in the human body are harmless in their normal forms. But mutant, misfolded proteins destroy brain cells causing degenerative brain disorders. Scientists also cited the possibility of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) being transmitted through any body fluid tainted with the abnormally formed prions which are responsible for the brain-wasting disorder. However, so far no case of CJD has been reported due to the use of fertility hormones, so the risk is theoretical.

There is a synthetic alternative to urine-based fertility products. But still fertility doctors opt for urine-based treatment as these synthetic hormones do not work well for every woman. But still the scientists feel that manufacturers could consider replacing urine derived fertility hormones with better biosynthetic versions. Caution has to be maintained while screening urine donors for symptoms of neurological disease. There is no reliable test for screening the presence of prions in urine and prion diseases have a long incubation period during which the urine is infectious.


Source-Medindia