About the Authors

Andrea Weghofer

andrea.weghofer@meduniwien.ac.at

Affiliations Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria, The Center for Human Reproduction and The Foundation for Reproductive Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America

Ann Kim

Affiliation The Center for Human Reproduction and The Foundation for Reproductive Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America

David H. Barad

Affiliations The Center for Human Reproduction and The Foundation for Reproductive Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America, Departments of Epidemiology and Social Medicine and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America

Norbert Gleicher

Affiliations The Center for Human Reproduction and The Foundation for Reproductive Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America

Competing Interests

AW, DHB and NG have received research grant support, travel funds and speaker honoraria from various pharmaceutical and medical device companies, none, however, related to here presented topic. NG and DHB are listed as inventors on already awarded and still pending United States patents, claiming beneficial effects on diminished ovarian reserve and embryo ploidy from DHEA supplementation. NG is owner of Center for Human Reproduction (CHR), a for-profit infertility center, where this research was conducted. NG and DHB are listed as co-inventors on a number of pending, and one already awarded, United States patents claiming diagnostic benefits from dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)/androgen supplementation in women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). CHR recently received notice that a second United States DHEA patent, including the claim that DHEA/androgen supplementation reduces embryo aneuploidy in women with DOR, would be issued in the near future. NG and DHB are also co-inventors on a number of pending U.S. patent applications, claiming diagnostic relevance for the assessment of CGG triple repeats on the FMR1 gene in determining risk towards DOR and related issues. NG, AW and DHB have in the past received research support, travel funds and speakers; honoraria from different pharma and medical device companies, none, however, in any way related to here presented research data. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors. At time of this submission only one United States user patent with any relevance to this manuscript has been awarded (November 10, 2009; #7615544). It claims benefits from supplementation with DHEA/Androgens on ovarian reserve and pregnancy rates win women with DOR. Above noted second user patent (#8067400) is expected within weeks from this submission, claiming expanded benefits on pregnancy chances and decreased embryo aneuploidy (and, therefore, miscarriage risk) from DHEA/androgen supplementation. Amongst patent applications pending in regards to the FMR1 gene, one describes ovarian genotypes and sub-genotypes used in this manuscript, and claims that they reflect different ovarian aging patterns. All patent applications filed by researchers at CHR are 50% owned by CHR and 50% by the investigators who did the research that led to the application. A full list of all patent information can be provided on request. This study was funded by CHR with no current external funding. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: AW NG. Performed the experiments: AW DHB AK. Analyzed the data: AW DHB AK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: NG. Wrote the paper: AW NG.