The technique involves stimulating dormant ovarian follicles, also known as Graafian follicles. These follicles are small spherical cavities that fill with fluid to develop eggs. Once the egg is developed, the woman ovulates and prepares for fertilization.

If these follicles are damaged, however, a woman may not produce eggs and may experience infertility. Only a small portion of ovarian follicles are used each month, and some remain dormant over the course of a woman’s life. Researchers hoped that by stimulating these follicles, they could boost fertility.

Researchers first tested the technique on mice and were successfully able to produce mature eggs and then pups. They were also able to produce eggs in humans, but did not investigate the technique’s effects on conception.

Experiments are still in the early stages, but these results do provide hope for couples struggling with fertility. Lead author of the study, postdoctoral fellow Jing Li of Stanford University Medical School, says it will be a while before they know whether this method will be as successful in humans as it is in mice.

“We hope that aging women, women who have frozen ovarian tissues prior to undergoing cancer treatments, or women with premature ovarian failure could benefit from our research," Li told Health Day.

Read the original article in Health Day, or visit The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences to view the study’s abstract.