Dear Professor Winston,
I am age of 45 after few failed IVFs with my own eggs. Never had a clinical pregnancy. I am reaching out to a clinic in Europe [that] recommends PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma). I am not sure if [there is] any research on this, please let me know your thoughts.
Many thanks!
A
Dear A,
The claims made for PRP injection are controversial. On your behalf, I reviewed the latest reports of its use in the European and US research studies and the trials that have been done seem to have been mostly poorly conducted and the results not submitted to adequate randomised trials. There is no scientific proof that this treatment works, nor any adequate explanation of why it might work. There are several clinics in Europe who have published what they regard as success whilst other good clinics have not replicated their results, and have been unable to reproduce any good results. Also the way the patients are chosen gives serious concern of bias as, for example, most of the patients who report a pregnancy are substantially younger than yourself and there are many other reasons why they may have got pregnant.
This is a highly lucrative private market and in my view these clinics have not, to my mind, demonstrated any real value for this treatment – except, of course, to the clinics charging for it.
I am sorry to give you disappointing information.
Best wishes,
Robert Winston