There are 400,000 fertilized eggs stored in fertility clinic freezers in the US, which are destined to be discarded. Rather than discarding them, a couple may make the choice to donate them for research purposes in order to save lives.

The fertilized egg from in vitro fertilization is called a blastocyst, which is a microscopic collection of 100-200 undifferentiated cells that are 4- to 5-days old.

These stem cells, derived from the blastocyst, are unique because they can become any cell type of the human body (totipotent) and are capable of seemingly unlimited growth potential. These cells have the potential to replace cells that have been damaged by disease or injury.

This is very different from adult stem cells and is an important distinction because large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell therapy.


For more information, please contact the Austin JDRF office at (512) 343-0663 or email us at info@jdrfaustin.org.