Reproductive medicine 2013: The year in review

Abstract

As exciting as 2012 was for the disciplines of reproductive biology and medicine, gaining traction within and without expected destinies for basic science and clinical advances, 2013 has far outshone it for several reasons. Not the least of these is the fact that some of the clinical areas receiving attention of late—but remaining not-so comfortably on the fringe of translation—have now taken a quantal leap into the realm of legitimate application. As discussed below, 2013 saw witness to breakthrough studies that bring hope for the use of patient-specific stem cells in the field of regenerative medicine and will inform the practice of fertility preservation with impending applicability for men and women alike. A common theme for the advances realized during 2013 is the legitimization of the “from bench to bedside” paradigm—the highly touted but difficult to demonstrate mantra of translational medicine. Exemplative of this was the work reviewed last month in JARG illustrating the translational value obtained from basic science studies in mice within the context of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in humans (see below). Moreover, the insights gathered on the origins of germ cells and their interconvertibility with stem cells have placed this promising area of study on firm footing and with molecular details that will foster deeper understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms at work in reproduction. The reader should bear in mind that the menu served below reflects the author’s bias and enthusiasm in a manner consonant with the goals and objectives of JARG. If nothing else, it is hoped that this short passage through the year 2013 will give our readers a chance to expand their own senses of curiosity and criticism as we move forward in the field of reproductive medicine.