(Newser)
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A formerly infertile London woman will give birth this week, the Daily Mail reports, thanks to an ovary transplant from her twin sister. The 38-year-old was declared infertile at age 15 and underwent menopause as a teenager, but became pregnant soon after the first-of-its-kind surgery. The discovery could help hundreds of thousands of women, including cancer patients who could have an ovary removed and frozen before undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
The surgery is a difficult one and would need to be modified for non-twins, who would need heavy doses of immunosuppressants to prevent rejection, making pregnancy unlikely. But the ovary transplant has hormonal benefits as well; the pregnant woman has already seen her osteoporosis improve.
