30 years: from IVF to stem cells

July 21, 2008

Ruth Deech, former chair of Britain’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, reflects on how the science that gave an infertile couple a baby has been extended to saving lives.

When Louise Brown was born of the first successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978, the reaction was intense and mixed. Some 5,000 couples immediately signed up for the same treatment, while the Catholic Church promptly objected, drawing battle lines that are still evident today.  (Available by Subscription only from Nature)