Vulnerable processes in embryo development highlighted

Infertility affects around 20 % of reproductive-aged couples and has resulted in the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). The most commonly used ART is in vitro fertilisation (IVF), where oocytes are fertilised and embryos cultured in vitro before being transferred to the uterus.

Despite many technological advances, the overall pregnancy rate of IVF is only 30 % per single cycle. One contributing factor is that human reproduction includes a high prevalence of diverse chromosomal pathologies in oocytes and early embryos. There also exists significant dysregulation in gene expression in the embryo and the endometrial tissue of the mother’s uterus, which can result in implantation failure and decreased pregnancy rate after IVF.

Further details: Vulnerable processes in embryo development highlighted