Comment:Mixed articles this week with one demonstrating the value of CGH and time-lapse and another warning against the effects of intervention. Data on time-lapse looks promising though it focuses only on the early cleavage parameters. Amazing though to have reached a stage where embryos are grown to day 6, checked for specific rate of development, biopsied and checked for euploidy. No where for an embryo to hide these days- no embryo privacy!
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Selection of competent blastocysts for transfer by combining time-lapse monitoring and array CGH testing for patients undergoing preimplantation genet
This is the first prospective investigation using sibling oocytes to evaluate the efficiency of selecting competent blastocysts for transfer by combining time-lapse monitoring and array CGH testing for PGS patients. Our data clearly demonstrate that the combination of these two advanced technologies to select competent blastocysts for transfer results in improved implantation and ongoing pregnancy rates for PGS patients.
Father's age influences rate of evolution: 90% of new mutations from father, chimpanzee study shows
The offspring of chimpanzees inherit 90 percent of new mutations from their father, and just 10 percent from their mother, a finding which demonstrates how mutation differs between humans and our closest living relatives, and emphasizes the importance of father's age on evolution.
Strong male bias drives germline mutation in chimpanzees
Germline mutation determines rates of molecular evolution, genetic diversity, and fitness load. In humans, the average point mutation rate is 1.2 × 10−::8 per base pair per generation, with every additional year of father’s age contributing two mutations across the genome and males contributing three to four times as many mutations as females. To assess whether such patterns are shared with our closest living relatives, we sequenced the geno
The explanation of obesity as a simple result of positive energy balance fails to account for the scope of variable responses to diets and lifestyles. It is postulated that individual physiological and anatomical variation may be responsible for developing obesity. Girls in poor families develop greater adiposity than their male siblings, a trend not present in richer environments. This indicates strong influence of estrogen on fat accumulation i
Variability in the components of high-density lipoprotein particles measured in human ovarian follicular fluid: a cross-sectional analysis
Substantial variability in FF HDL components exist between follicles among women undergoing IVF as well as between women by age, BMI, race, smoking, and infertility diagnosis.
The kisspeptin-GnRH pathway in human reproductive health and disease
Kisspeptin is a recently discovered neuromodulator that controls GnRH secretion mediating endocrine and metabolic inputs to the regulation of human reproduction. Manipulation of kisspeptin signalling has the potential for novel therapies in patients with pathologically low or high LH pulsatility.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of DNA methylation levels and imprinting disorders in children conceived by IVF/ICSI compared with children conc
There was an increase in imprinting disorders in children conceived though IVF and ICSI but insufficient evidence for an association between ART and methylation in other imprinted genes. Heterogeneity in the types of fertility treatment, the imprinted regions studied, the tissues used and the methods of measurement, reduce our ability to assess the full effect of ART on DNA methylation and imprinting. More controlled studies, using standardized m
Dependence of fertility on kisspeptin–Gpr54 signaling at the GnRH neuron
Signaling between kisspeptin and its receptor, G-protein-coupled receptor 54 (Gpr54), is now recognized as being essential for normal fertility. However, the key cellular location of kisspeptin–Gpr54 signaling is unknown
Comparative intrauterine development and placental function of ART concepti: implications for human reproductive medicine and animal breeding
ART may promote measurable alterations to intrauterine growth trajectory and placental function. Key findings include evidence that birthweight is not a reliable marker of fetal stress, and that increases in embryo manipulation result in more deviant fetal growth curves. Because growth kinetics in early life are particularly relevant to adult metabolic physiology, we advise more rigorous assessment of fetal growth and placental function in human
Arrested human embryos are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes than developing embryos from women of advanced maternal age
These results indicate that high proportions of human embryos from patients of advanced maternal age are aneuploid, and the arrested embryos are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes than developing embryos.
Fertility control centre found in the brain [ABC transcript]
There is a precise set of neurons, a small protein known as kisspeptin and a particular receptor. The brain cells decide what to do, they tell the pituitary gland what to do, then the pituitary gland releases hormones which tell the ovaries or testes what to do. Kisspeptin has been described as the master controller for fertility.
Embryo Time-Lapse Photography is Being Used as a Vital Tool for In Vitro Fertilization [time-lapse has now made into the photographic magazines!]
Photography’s value to society goes far beyond aesthetics, it has become a vital tool in laboratories across the world. One recent example is the fairly new Embryoscope, a technology that is being used to help dramatically improve In Vitro Fertilization through time-lapse photography.
A new study, among the first in humans, is underway to investigate whether phthalate (plastics) levels in expectant fathers have an effect on the couples’ reproductive success, via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA. Phthalates are detectable in nearly 100 percent of the U.S. population, and phthalate exposure, known to disrupt endocrines, is associated in human studies with changes in semen quality, androgen levels, birth outcomes and offspri
Guidelines needed for creating germ cells in vitro, scientists state
Research aimed at developing germ cells - the progenitors of eggs and sperm - in vitro should be held to especially rigorous scientific standards, a distinguished team of reproductive biologists argues. They state that because "germ cells are the ultimate stem cells," laboratories are racing to develop these cells in vitro for assisted reproduction.
UB Biochemist Discovers New Clues to Infertility in Study on Cholesterol -
High cholesterol levels may impair fertility in couples trying to conceive, according to a study co-authored by Richard W. Browne, PhD, associate professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences.
Underground business cashes in on infertile couples
Business is booming in the Chinese mainland's ovary egg donation black market where agencies advertise their underground services to desperate infertile couples, especially in the cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan.
Are female hormones playing a key role in obesity epidemic?
An imbalance of female sex hormones among men in Western nations may be contributing to high levels of male obesity, according to new research. Scientists suggest that obesity among Western men could be linked with exposure to substances containing the female sex hormone estrogen - substances that are more often found in affluent societies, such as soy products and plastics.
Journal of Ovarian Research is an open access, peer reviewed, online journal that aims to provide a forum for high-quality basic and clinical research on ovarian function, abnormalities, and cancer. The journal focuses on research that provides new insights into ovarian functions as well as prevention and treatment of diseases afflicting the organ.
Strong male bias drives germline mutation in chimpanzees
Summary
Here is an interesting article that documents the rate of mutation per generation and highlights the impact of age and gender. Is there an ICSI technique that minimises the mutation rate?
Comment
'In humans, the average point mutation rate is 1.2 × 10(8) per base pair per generation, with every additional year of father’s age contributing two mutations across the genome and males contributing three to four times as many mutations as females.'. While genetics is not my strong point, this article may cause some to reflect on the opportunities that exist with ICSI to devise a method that identifies the sperm with the least mutation risk. Again, more often than not, most older women have male partners at least as old or older. Does a clinic have a duty of care to explain to older couples that advanced male age has an increased risk. Not that a clinic should refuse treatment only that they are counselled about the risk. This paper highlights the role of the husband in this process. Several other aspects include that treating older women while having an increased risk of aneuploidy, may not carry the same risk of the husband.
Title
Posthumous Known Sperm Donation
Summary
The news story this week about a woman who conceived using her deceased husbands frozen sperm is a victory for common-sense and counselling.
Comment
In some ways, this is a good story where from amongst the grief of losing a partner, sibling children have been conceived. The use of posthumous frozen sperm's main problems is that it may be used during emotional stress that time may heal and that one is deliberately conceiving a child who will never know their father. In most countries, it is difficult to access frozen sperm of a deceased male unless consent has been provided for such use prior to the man's death. Even so, it remains questionable whether a women should still consider conception after their partner has died. In most cases, the women will move on and then the issue is how to dispose of the partners frozen sperm. In this cases, a family already existed and the higher level of ethics then may argue that the better good would be to ensure the siblings had the same parentage. Having said this, partners unfortunately die or leave and partners form new relationships with children that have different fathers. If this happens in real life, should not IVF follow real life? One could also argue that just because consent has been given, that the frozen sperm should be used. Interestingly in a few cases, it is the parents of the deceased male that gave consent as to whether the sperm should be used. At what time does a parent or a wife have rights over deceased remains or more importantly when it should not be used? One option is that just because the couple planned to have a child, may not mean the planning extended to a time after his demise. Possibly a better option is that the consent must must be specific for posthomous use and define the conditions of how it is to be used.
Title
Comparative intrauterine development and placental function of ART concepti
Summary
Comparative intrauterine development and placental function of ART concepti: implications for human reproductive medicine and animal breeding
Comment
The authors cite 'Although the great majority of ART children are healthy, many reports suggest a forthcoming risk of metabolic complications, which is further supported by the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis of suboptimal embryo/fetal conditions predisposing adult cardiometabolic pathologies. Accumulating evidence suggests that fetal and placental growth kinetics are important features predicting post-natal health, but the relationship between ART and intrauterine growth has not been systematically reviewed.' In essence what they are saying is that standard birth data such as birth weight are poor indicators of potential future childhood and adult health and that any intervention that may alter placental function (i.e. ICSI or PGD or maybe embryo culture) may have unforeseen long term effects and that indiscriminate intervention (for profit or inter-clinic competition) should be minimised. After all, the clinicians and scientists now working in IVF may not live to see the long term effects of treatment. Doesn't mean, they should not try to achieve a pregnancy, just that some caution could be heeded.
Title
The best IVF can offer - blastocysts+time-lape+CGH
Summary
Selection of competent blastocysts for transfer by combining time-lapse
monitoring and array CGH testing for patients undergoing preimplantation
genetic screening: a prospective study with sibling o
Comment
In this remarkable article, Yang and co-workers have reported the outcome of applying extended culture and time-lapse selection to the transfer of CGH graded euploidy embryos. They compared the outcome using sibling injected oocytes. Even though they mixed the data from SET and DET transfers in some analysis (the results for each are shown),applying the additional time-lapse criteria increased the implantation rate from 41% to 69% in this small data set. It did not influence the miscarriage rate indicating that aneuploidy is the main cause of miscarriage and euploidy embryos have a miscarriage rate of 3-11%. The subgroup of couples who received a selected and a non-selected embryo had outcomes midway between the 2 arms of the trial suggesting that time-lapse may improve embryo selection.
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In-line filter for cylinder and house gasses
O2, N2, CO2, and tri-gas. Aire~LifeLine provides in-line air filtration with top of the line protection, delivering a better and more consistent yield of cylinder and house gasses for a wide range of med
Vit Kit - Warm NX is an adaptable, cost-effective system for use in the thawing of oocytes, pronuclear zygotes, cleavage stage embryos, and blastocyst stage embryos. Unlike many vitrification kits that feature a mono-buffered system and M199 base med
Vit Kit - Freeze NX is an adaptable, cost-effective system for use in the vitrification of oocytes, pronuclear zygotes, cleavage stage embryos, and blastocyst stage embryos. Vit Kit - Freeze NX is the latest advancement in vitrification media aimed t
S-Cryolock is the slimmer version of the original. It is a versatile, simple and efficient vitrification device that is intended for the holding, cryopreservation and storage of oocytes or embryos in liquid nitrogen.
Source
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