fertility Archives - Amazing Health Advances

New Israeli Tech Doubles IVF Success Rates

The AHA! Team — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 05:03:06 +0000

Zachy Hennessey via Israel21c – The new method accurately identifying high-quality sperm cells without using potentially harmful chemical dyes. A recent Israeli advancement in fertility science may hold the key to combating the ongoing global decline in fertility rates, by nearly doubling the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The new technology, developed in the lab of Tel Aviv University Prof. Natan T. Shaked, takes advantage of the light-conducting properties of cells, allowing embryologists to visualize and analyze the internal structure of live sperm cells with extreme accuracy. Researchers can now peek into the microscopic world of reproductive cells with unprecedented detail By using advanced imaging techniques that map cellular structures without invasive procedures, researchers can now peek into the microscopic world of reproductive cells with unprecedented detail. This allows for measurements of previously unattainable parameters like cell mass, volume and structural integrity. Until now, embryologists have had to rely on subjective criteria when evaluating the viability of a given sperm sample — the cells’ external appearance or motility. One commonly used method involves the use of chemical dyes, which better enable the inspection of sperm cells but risks damaging the cells in the process. “Currently, about 90 percent of sperm cells that appear suitable to embryologists actually fail to meet internal morphological criteria,” explained Shaked. “Our technology changes that, offering a new tool to significantly improve IVF outcomes.” The result is an increase in IVF success rates from 34% to 65% — nearly twice the amount. In a clinical trial at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, the technology resulted in 20 pregnancies out of 31 embryo transfers, compared to just 14 pregnancies out of 41 transfers in the control group. The technology is currently being implemented in clinics throughout Israel (in Ashkelon, Kfar Saba, Ramat HaHayal, Afula and Nahariya), as well as internationally in California and Japan. Dozens of couples have enrolled in clinical trials. Shaked describes it as providing “a new and essential tool to identify sperm cells that meet the World Health Organization criteria for IVF labs.” A description of the new method was published in the journals PNAS, Advanced Science, and Fertility and Sterility. No better time to boost births Fertility rates in developed countries have been declining for decades. According to United Nations statistics, the average global total fertility rate has dropped from 4.8 births per woman in 1970 to 2.2 in 2024. This demographic shift threatens to impact economic stability, social structures and the long-term sustainability of many developed nations. “Fertility issues are becoming increasingly critical: one in six couples faces fertility problems, with male-related issues accounting for half of the cases,” explained Dr. Bozhena Saar-Ryss from Barzilai Medical Center. “Over the past few decades, sperm counts in young, healthy men have dropped by approximately 50%. “Additionally, in certain countries like Japan, Korea and Spain, dramatic declines in birth rates are leading to population shrinkage. The causes for this are diverse and include societal trends like career prioritization and delayed marriages, as well as health issues potentially caused by environmental pollutants,” Saar-Rhys added. These statistics highlight the need for innovative reproductive technologies like the one developed at Tel Aviv University. Selecting the best swimmers Backed by Tel Aviv University’s investment fund and technology transfer company Ramot, the technology is being commercialized through QART Medical, a startup that aims to bring this solution to fertility clinics worldwide. Following the initial success of their research, Shaked and his team are currently developing an additional method to detect DNA fragmentation in sperm cells. “Our goal is to provide embryologists with a technology that enables individual sperm selection based on three essential criteria: motility, internal structure and unfragmented DNA,” says Shaked. “This will allow embryologists to select the best sperm cell for fertilization and dramatically improve success rates in this vital procedure.” To read the original article click here.

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IVF Pregnancies at Greater Risk of Exposure to Medicines That Can Harm the Baby

The AHA! Team — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 06:09:30 +0000

University of South Australia via Newswise – Pregnancies achieved through IVF and ICSI have the highest exposure to medicines that can harm the fetus, raising the chances of birth defects. A new Australian study has revealed a potential reason why some pregnancies achieved through assisted reproductive technology (ART) may result in birth defects in comparison to naturally conceived pregnancies. Researchers found that in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) pregnancies had the highest exposure to teratogenic medicines that potentially can harm the fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy. These are listed as Category D and X medicines by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The risk associated with the use of Category D medicines in pregnancy may be outweighed by the clinical benefit in individual cases such as management of mental health disorders or epilepsy. Category X medicines on the other hand are strongly discouraged during pregnancy due to the high risk of fetal harm. Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA), The University of Western Australia (UWA) and The Kids Research Institute Australia analysed more than 57,000 pregnancies in four conception groups over a two-year period. The groups comprised women using ART (2041); those taking medication to induce ovulation (590); untreated sub-fertile women (2063); and naturally fertile pregnancies (52,987). ART pregnancies had the highest exposure to Category D medications taken in the first trimester. The study found that 4.9% of the ART pregnancies were exposed, compared to only 0.6% of naturally conceived pregnancies. In later trimesters, the trend persisted, with 3.4% of ART pregnancies exposed to Category D medications versus 0.6% of naturally conceived pregnancies. Exposure to Category X medications (causing the most harm during pregnancy) was low across all groups and trimesters, at less than 0.5% of pregnancies. “These differences in exposure are primarily linked to medications used as additional treatment following ART to prevent repeat miscarriages or failed implantation, rather than medications to treat underlying chronic conditions,” says UniSA researcher Dr Anna Kemp-Casey, who led the study. “For example, ART pregnancies, during the study period were more often exposed to progestogens like medroxyprogesterone acetate, which may have been used to treat threatened or recurrent miscarriages,” Dr Kemp says. The five most frequently used Category D/X medications across all pregnancies regardless of conception status were paroxetine, lamotrigine, valproic acid, carbamazepine, and nicotine dependence treatments. UWA co-researcher Professor Roger Hart, also a practising IVF clinician and the national medical director of City Fertility, says the higher exposure to Category D and X medicines in ART pregnancies during the first trimester may contribute to the higher rate of birth defects observed in ART babies. “Although ART pregnancies are carefully planned, medications taken during fertility treatments may inadvertently increase exposure to birth defect risks, particularly during critical periods of fetal development,” Prof Hart says. Researchers say the findings demonstrate that the vast majority of IVF babies are healthy, and do not suggest that ART pregnancies are unsafe, but they underscore the importance of personalised medical care for women undergoing ART treatment and close monitoring for women in early pregnancy. Prof Hart says more research is needed to examine Category D and X medicines exposure in pregnancy as well as underlying maternal medical conditions and their contribution to birth defect risk in ART babies. The study has been published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Notes for editors “Are assisted reproductive technology pregnancies more likely to be exposed to teratogenic medication? A whole-population study” is authored by researchers from the University of South Australia, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia and Curtin University. DOI: 10.1111/ajo.13911 According to the latest ANZARD report, in 2022 more than 20,000 children in Australia (17,963) and New Zealand (2095) were born using ART. Since IVF was introduced in 1978, 10 million children have been born using ART. A 2021 study by US researchers analyzing 1.2 million births found an 18% higher risk of birth defects among IVF babies and a 36% overall greater risk for ICSI births (42% increased risk where ICSI was used to treat male factor subfertility and 30% increased risk with ICSI use for non-male factor subfertility). In IVF pregnancies, sperm is added to a dish containing eggs, and fertilisation occurs naturally, compared to ICSI where a single sperm is injected directly into each egg. The latter procedure is normally used to treat male subfertility but is also an option for unexplained infertility. To read the original article click here.

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Chemicals Found in Everyday Products Found to Be Harmful to Fertility

AHA Publisher — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 07:00:37 +0000

University at Albany, State University of New York via Newswise – ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 1, 2021) – Three studies led by a University at Albany PhD student found that a group of chemicals found in many plastic products are harmful to women who are pregnant and to couples planning a pregnancy – yet the products are often not on the list of things to be avoided. Phthalates — a group of chemicals used to make plastic more flexible, found in items ranging from toys to personal care items and flooring — have long been thought to be associated with infertility but the results have been inconsistent, explained Thoin F. Begum, an environmental health sciences PhD student who led the recent studies. “Phthalates are known to be disruptors to the endocrine system, but the extent and exact outcomes of the exposure is still relatively unknown,” Begum said. “Animal studies have shown that phthalates are reproductive toxicants, so we wanted to determine if phthalates are linked to any reproductive outcomes in humans.” In three separate studies, published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, Reproductive Toxicology and Reviews on Environmental Health, Thoin and colleagues found that several of the environmental chemicals are indeed harmful to the reproductive process and can have harmful effects on the fetus. In one of the studies, the team enrolled over 30 couples visiting a fertility clinic in San Francisco to examine their lifestyle and behavioral patterns, and collected urine samples to determine how much and what types of environmental chemicals they were exposed to. The analysis showed that women who applied several lotions, moisturizers and other personal care products had more exposure to lower molecular weight phthalates, while women who applied nail polish and perfume had more high molecular weight phthalates in their bodies. The male partners of the women who used of lotions and moisturizers also were associated with high molecular weight phthalates, indicating that both women and men face exposure to phthalates through the use of personal care products. When they looked at both partners’ phthalate exposure, the researchers found that greater exposure to the phthalates specific to personal care products (MBP, MHxP and MEHP) were associated with lower likelihoods of a successful pregnancy and live birth. Additionally, the male partner’s exposure to phthalates also mattered when considering the likelihood of conception and having a live baby — suggesting that when thinking about becoming pregnant, both partners should be aware that using personal care products may lead to unwanted exposure to phthalates. “Pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy, including the woman’s partner, should limit their exposure to these chemicals by not using products such as nail polish and perfume, cologne, hair dyes and a slew of other personal care products,” Begum said. “Interestingly enough, and of concern, these things are often not on the list provided by doctors of things couples should avoid during a pregnancy or while planning one.” Begum worked with associate professors Beth Feingold and Xiaobo Romeiko, professor David Carpenter, as well as fellow student Celeste Butts and Michael Bloom, Begum’s MS advisor who is currently at George Mason University. Colleagues at University of California at San Francisco also participated in the research. Though the three peer-reviewed studies indicated that phthalates are a reproductive toxicant, Begum noted that more research on phthalates overall is needed. “While it is quite clear that phthalates are reproductive toxicants, the other effects are a bit unclear,” she noted. “Phthalates appear to be thyroid antagonists in that they reduce thyroid hormone levels with multigenerational and persistent effects. In our review, we found that exposure to phthalates may be associated with a wide range of other health outcomes aside from reproductive outcomes and this requires further research.” To read the original article click here.

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Experimental Treatment Offers Hope of Fertility for Early Menopausal Women

AHA Publisher — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 07:00:20 +0000

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) via EurekAlert – Menopause typically signals the end of a woman’s ability to become pregnant. However, in a small new study, a novel approach of administering platelet-rich plasma and gonadotropins near the ovarian follicles is showing promise in restoring ovarian function. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). As more women look to build their careers before pursuing motherhood, the average age of conceiving a child continues to be pushed back. For some of these women, however, their hope of becoming pregnant is cut short by the onset of early menopause, which is described as the cessation of ovarian function at or before the age of 45 years. It is estimated that roughly 12.2% of women experience early menopause. For these women, the only chance of becoming pregnant is with donor eggs. Multiple treatment options have previously been investigated, including standard, controlled ovarian stimulation. Platelet-rich plasma has been used in women with primary ovarian insufficiency, but few pregnancies and live births resulted. With the failure of these somewhat traditional treatments, more novel approaches, such as methods for inducing the growth of ovarian follicles, are being pursued. In this new, small-scale pilot study, platelet-rich plasma and gonadotropins were injected into the ovaries of study participants, with some fairly amazing results. After treatment, 11 of the 12 study participants resumed menstruation, and one achieved clinical pregnancy, defined as a pregnancy that is confirmed by ultrasound as well as a fetal heartbeat. Although more research and larger studies are needed, these early results regarding the successful resumption of ovarian function offer hope to women in early menopause who may be able to pursue pregnancy through in vitro fertilization using their own eggs. Results are published in the article “Resumed ovarian function and pregnancy in early menopausal women by whole dimension subcortical ovarian administration of platelet-rich plasma and gonadotropins.” “This pilot study investigating the use of platelet-rich plasma and gonadotropins injected into the ovaries of women with early menopause highlights the promise of regenerative medicine in restoring or prolonging fertility. Additional studies conducted prospectively and involving large numbers of women are needed to determine whether this is truly a viable option for women with early menopause hoping to achieve pregnancy using their own eggs,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director. To read the original article click here.

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