Drug stops chemo wrecking fertility

A drug developed to treat cancer could help prevent women becoming infertile after chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

These two therapies can destroy the oocytes — immature eggs stored in the ovaries.

The drug, a so-called CHK2 inhibitor, stops a protein that moves in to destroy the oocytes once their dNA has been damaged by chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

When mice were given the drug, their oocytes were not destroyed — despite having dNA damage. The dNA repaired and the mice went on to have healthy pups, according to the study published in the journal genetics.

researchers say that more work needs to be done before it can be tested in humans.