IVF News

Tuesday 8th June, 2021. 3PM EST/ 8PM GMT / 9PM CET

Moderators: Dr. Pierre Comizzoli and Dr. Gabriela Mastromonaco

Presenters:
“Cloning- an Assisted Reproductive Technology That Works for the Preservation of Endangered Species" 
Dr. Martha Gomez

“A Spectrum of Reproductive Phenotypes Across Vertebrate Species”
Professor Richard Behringer

“Transgenesis and Their Use in Animal Models for Human Reproduction” 
Dr. Hiroshi Kiyonari

Register Here

Introducing a new webapp : Embryo Grow!

As you know, going through fertility treatments is a unique and overwhelming journey. As an embryologist with 19 years experience, I have created a webapp that provides daily updates explaining the growth of embryos. A positive, uplifting helpful experience! I want to help patient and IVF clinic staff to understand what the embryologist looks for and how we grade embryos.

EmbryoGrow helps by ...
- Providing daily updates about the growth of embryos during IVF treatment. These updates are written by embryologists.
- Helping patients advocate and learn more about your treatments.

If you would like to set up time to discuss a partnership, we have the ability to brand our app specifically to your clinic and offer your patients access to this engaging platform. 

Contact [email protected] for more information.IVF is hard and our features will support and empower our users with knowledge.

www.embryogrow.app

Personnel working in assisted reproductive technology often lack the opportunities for dedicated training in the specialized techniques and technologies required for the procedures. As such, success in the form of live birth rates can range from over 50% to less than 10% per treatment cycle. This comprehensive introductory textbook is an essential resource for trainee embryologists, medical students and nurses. The recent revolutions in biotechnology and molecular biology involved in delivering assisted reproductive services are thoroughly discussed. Basic knowledge such as the development and physiology of both male and female reproductive systems is covered, with practical aspects of IVF including gamete and embryo manipulation, cryopreservation and genetic testing explained in detail. A full description of the optimal structure and management of the IVF laboratory is given, helping ensure procedures are safe and effective. Extensive and highly detailed colour illustrations bring the content to life and aids readers in their understanding.

Tuesday 25th May, 2021. 3PM EST/ 8PM GMT / 9PM CET 

Interviews, discussion and showcase articles

Moderators: Professor Bart Fauser and Professor Laura Rienzi

Discussion paper:

“There is Only One Thing that Is Truly Important in an IVF Laboratory: Everything- Cairo Consensus Guidelines on IVF Culture Conditions“
Dr. Mina Alikani

Speed Round Papers:

“Collecting Semen Samples at Home for IVF/ICSI Does Not Negatively Affect the Outcome of the Fresh Cycle”
Dr Martin Stimpfel

“2008 Financial Crisis vs 2020 Economic Fallout: How COVID-19 Might Influence Fertility Treatment and Live Births”
Professor Fady I. Sharara

“Conception After Early IVF Pregnancy Loss: Should We Wait?”
Dr. Maya Sharon-Weiner

An automated embryo freezing process has been developed to reduce the likelihood of damage from freezing, or 'cryoinjuries', that can occur when the process is performed manually.

Normally embryos that are to be frozen need to have the water in them slowly replaced with a chemical that protects against damage from freezing, called a cryoprotectant. This happens by manually moving the embryo from one solution to other increasingly concentrated solutions of the cryoprotectant. Researchers from the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB) in Tehran, Iran, McGill University and the University of British Columbia both in Canada, have developed an automated system that gradually increases the concentration of the cryoprotectant in situ, so the embryo does not have to be moved. They were able to show that this system resulted in similar hatching and re-expansion rates to manually processed mouse embryos, while limiting molecular damage. 

'Our findings emphasise the importance of moving away from droplet-based loading of cryoprotectants to gradual concentration controls. It moves us one step closer to increasing the efficiency of assisted reproduction and the improved health of future babies,' said Dr Mojtaba Dashtizad from NIGEB, co-lead researcher of the study published in Biomicrofluidics.

When embryo freezing is performed manually by transferring embryos from one solution to another, the sudden transferring between droplets can cause an abrupt osmotic shock, which is thought to lead to molecular damage.

To avoid this, researchers developed what they called a microfluidic chip with a chamber for the embryo and a series of tiny tubes that allowed the flow of cryoprotectants into the chamber while water could flow out. They then tested it to find the optimum time/concentration conditions in comparison to the manual method. They have now developed a 'fully stand-alone and portable device' that can be used for cryopreservation. 

'What if embryos simply stayed in the same place and cryoprotectants were brought to them? Microfluidics systems are really good at controlling flow and concentration,' said Dr Dashtizad. 'Embryos can be cryopreserved faster and with a lower concentration of cryoprotectants - a huge advantage because of the toxicity of these chemicals.'

In fact, following 12 hours post-thawing, the team observed that the platform enabled the shortening of the process by three minutes, with no negative impact on the re-expansion and hatching rates of the mouse embryos.  

The authors note there was a reduction in the detrimental gene expression that causes the 'molecular damages that have long been a source of concern'.

The microfluidic system may enable embryo freezing and cryopreservation processes as a whole to be simplified, more reproducible, and less prone to human error. In the short term, the next steps will need to replicate these findings but the intention of automating this method will be for human fertility preservation in the future.

SOURCES & REFERENCES