Nuclear Magnetic Resonance for Embryo Ploidy Selection

Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidade de Lisboa

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Aneuploidy; Infertility

Treatments: Other: Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of embryo culture medium

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NETWORK

Identifiers

NCT05488236

2004-LIS-037-SN

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to validate the embryo culture medium analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as a faster and less-costly alternative to preimplantation genetic test for aneuploidy which could significantly enhance embryo selection and the success rate of assisted reproductive technologies.

Full description

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) refers to treatments used to assist people in achieving a pregnancy. Over the last years, ART have been developed with efforts to deliver a healthy baby. However, the selection of the embryo that most likely results in pregnancy remains a critical step in ART. Currently, this selection is based on morphological assessment of the embryos, but up to 70% of those embryos display an abnormal number of chromosomes. Preimplantation genetic test for aneuploidy (PGT-A) is used to assess the ploidy of embryos, although this is an invasive, expensive and time consuming technique. Alternatively, in order to predict the ploidy of pre-implantation embryos (euploidy vs aneuploidy), we suggest to characterise the metabolic profile of the embryo culture medium by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), which is a non-invasive, low cost and fast technique.

The aim of this study is to assess whether, using multivariable analysis to all the collected NMR data, it is possible to identify a differential metabolic pattern between aneuploid and euploid embryos which could improve embryo selection.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 48 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age: ≥18 and <49 years old.
• Body Mass Index ≥18.5 Kg/m2 and <30 Kg/m2.
• Planned for in vitro fertilization followed by preimplantation genetic test for aneuploidy.
• Oocytes retrieval and fertilization by intracytoplasmic sperm injection
• Six follicles over 14 mm on the day of the triggering. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist
• Signed and dated informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Previous history of poor ovarian response (<4 oocytes retrieved) with a maximal dose of ovarian stimulation (≥300 IU/day).
• Presence of a medical condition which is known to affect assisted reproductive technologies outcome (e.g. thyroid dysfunction).
• Active female smoking.
• Current use of anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, steroids, antiepileptics or chemotherapy.
• Those unable to comprehend the investigational nature of the proposed study.