In vitro fertilisation, a treatment that fertilises eggs in a lab and later implants them in the uterus, has been a source of hope for couples struggling to conceive.
However, IVF is a complex process, with success rates among women younger than 40 being only 20% to 40% in the US, research has found.
It can be challenging for doctors to determine which lab-grown embryos are most likely to result in a successful pregnancy – meaning many women are having to go through numerous rounds of treatment. But the new non-invasive test for embryo quality, developed by scientists at University of California San Diego, has the potential to help many more prospective parents.
Professor Irene Su, of UC San Diego School of Medicine, said: “Unfortunately, IVF success still involves a big element of chance, but that’s something we’re hoping our research can change. IVF is challenging enough as it is, so it was extremely important to us our research didn’t interfere with this already-delicate process.
“What we’ve done is more akin to looking at what’s left behind at an archaeological site to help us learn more about who lived there and what they did.”
The new test works by detecting small particles of genetic material, called exRNAs, that are left behind in the liquid young embryos are grown in.
Instead of relying on biopsies of embryos, the approach works similar to blood tests by detecting exRNAs in a sample of fluid. It means the method, published in Cell Genomics, is non-invasive and involves no extra steps on the part of women going through IVF.
Although scientists are still unsure of the biological function of exRNAs, their discovery in the early 2000s has opened up new avenues into medical research.
These offer insights into cell-to-cell communication and disease processes.
Sheng Zhong, professor in the department of bioengineering at University of California, said: “This is just the beginning.”