Chalfont, PA -- (SBWire) -- 06/11/2015 --As reported by Independent Online, British researchers have identified a human hormone that could be a boon to women who are struggling with infertility. As scientists continue to investigate the effects of the hormone on fertility and IVF treatments, their discoveries could lead directly to higher success rates. Pennsylvania Reproductive Specialists, a fertility clinic in Philadelphia, provides in vitro fertilization and other treatments to women who are struggling with an inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term.

The hormone in question is called kisspeptin. According to the Independent Online article, published in May 2015, scientists believe that it may be the catalyst for the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. In turn, gonadotropin-releasing hormone boosts the production of two hormones that stimulate ovulation in women and sperm production in men.

Kisspeptin's possible role in human fertility is further evidenced by a 2014 study by Imperial College London, which compared blood levels of kisspeptin in women who successfully carried pregnancies to term and women who miscarried. In women who miscarried, levels of kisspeptin were 60% lower than those found in women who carried their pregnancies to term. Furthermore, kisspeptin may reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, a serious condition that sometimes occurs in women undergoing IVF treatments.

Independent Online reports that kisspeptin is currently the subject of several ongoing clinical trials. The results gathered by researchers may give the doctors at Pennsylvania Reproductive Specialists a better understanding of if and how they can use kisspeptin in fertility treatments. The clinic already has a rate of 74% successful pregnancies in women under 35, one of the highest success rates in the nation. Their patients come to the clinic when they want a fertility doctor in Philadelphia who will provide safe, attentive and successful fertility care.

For more information about Pennsylvania Reproductive Specialists, visit their website or call 215-822-8400.

About Pennsylvania Reproductive Specialists
Dr. Annette Lee, M.D., the physician at Pennsylvania Reproductive Specialists, is double board-certified in OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinology. After over a decade perfecting her clinical skills in some of the largest and most successful IVF centers in the US, she established PRS in 2009 with the goal of offering the same cutting edge care in a very patient-friendly environment. Vitals.com awarded Dr. Lee the "Patient's Choice" award in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 based on exemplary patient reviews and rating. Dr. Lee was named by Castle Connolly as a "Top Regional Doctor" in 2014 and also named as one of Vitals.com's Top 10 Reproductive Endocrinologists.

For more information call 215-822-8400 or visit http://www.prsfertility.com.