Category Archives: Human Reproduction

Public release date: 3-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Christine Bauquis christine@eshre.eu 32-499-258-046 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Istanbul, 3 July 2012: Women with a higher intake of dietary saturated fats have fewer mature oocytes available for collection in IVF, according to results of a study from the Harvard School of Public Health funded by the US National Institutes of Health. The study investigated the effect of dietary fat (classified as total, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, omega 6, omega 3 and trans) on a range of preclinical and clinical outcomes in women having IVF. Results showed that the intake of saturated fat was inversely related to the number of mature oocytes retrieved, while polyunsaturated fat consumption was inversely associated with early embryo quality.(1)

Dietary fat intake has been previously studied for its effect on reproductive health; for example, a high intake of trans-fats has been associated with ovulatory infertility (as in polycystic ovary syndrome) and miscarriage, while saturated fats have been related to lower sperm concentrations. But so far little has been known about the effect of dietary fat intake on the outcome of fertility treatment.

The results of this study were presented today at the annual meeting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) by Dr Jorge Chavarro, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, USA.

The study took place among 147 women having IVF at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. Preclinical assessments included oocyte development, fertilisation, embryo quality and cleavage rate, while clinical outcomes (pregnancy, live birth) were recorded in all women who had embryo transfer. The women were also categorised into tertiles of fat intake, with outcomes compared in relation to the lowest tertile. Results were controlled for other sources of energy, infertility diagnosis, ovarian stimulation protocol, body mass index (BMI) and smoking status.

Following statistical analysis it was found that women with higher intakes of total fat had fewer metaphase II (MII) oocytes retrieved than women in the lowest tertile. This association was driven by intake of saturated fat, said Professor Chavarro. Women in the highest tertile of saturated fat intake had on average 9.3 MII oocytes, while those with the lowest intake had 11.6 MII oocytes.

"Only MII oocytes can be used for IVF," he explained. "Thus, having fewer mature oocytes can mean fewer embryos to choose from for fresh transfer or future transfer following cryopreservation, particularly among women who respond poorly to ovarian stimulation."

Polyunsaturated fat consumption was found inversely related to embryo quality. Women in the highest tertile of polyunsaturated fat intake had a higher proportion of poor quality embryos and more slowly cleaving embryos than had women in the lowest tertile of intake.

Fat consumption was also associated with clinical outcomes. Higher intakes of monounsaturated fat were related to higher odds of live birth. The odds of a live birth after embryo transfer in women with the highest intake of monounsaturated fat were 3.45 times higher than those of women with the lowest intake.

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A high intake of certain dietary fats associated with lower live birth rates in IVF

FORT COLLINS - Construction has begun on a 12,200-square-foot Equine Reproduction Laboratory at Colorado State University less than a year after fire destroyed the original main laboratory building.

For 30 years, researchers at the Equine Reproduction Laboratory have developed reproductive techniques benefiting horses and preserving bloodlines. Multiple techniques used today in human and animal reproduction assistance were pioneered at the laboratory, including semen freezing and cooling, embryo transfer and other advanced reproductive procedures.

Despite the fire, client services, teaching and research activities have continued in other buildings on the grounds. More than 500 client horses are examined annually at the ERL.

Construction is expected to be completed by March 2013 in time for the main part of the breeding season.

Insurance proceeds will cover some construction costs, but fundraising for the project is ongoing. For naming opportunities and more information about donating to rebuilding efforts, go to http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/ns/_news/csu-equine-laboratory-support/index.aspx.

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Equine Reproduction Laboratory construction to begin at Colorado State University

01-07-2012 00:58

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Human Reproduction 1947 - Video

MENLO PARK, CA--(Marketwire -07/02/12)- Auxogyn, Inc., a company focused on revolutionizing the field of reproductive health, today presented data showing the ability of its flagship product, the Early Embryo Viability Assessment (Eeva) Test, to predict embryo advancement with a new level of accuracy. The Eeva Test uses intelligent computer vision software to measure key parameters from video images and predicts with high accuracy at the cleavage stage which embryos will likely grow to the blastocyst stage. These clinical data were presented today at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Annual Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

In a prospective multi-center cohort study of 160 patients and close to 1,800 embryos, the Eeva Test was able to predict blastocyst formation at the cleavage stage with 85 percent specificity, reducing the false positive rate from 43 percent to 15 percent compared with traditional morphology selection. Eeva also demonstrated the ability to track and analyze cell division timings with greater than 90 percent accuracy. Additionally, Eeva was able to increase the consistency of embryo assessment across embryologists.

"Remarkably, we found that Eeva may in fact improve embryo selection for cleavage-stage transfer," said David Adamson, M.D., adjunct clinical professor at Stanford University, associate clinical professor at UCSF, director of Fertility Physicians of Northern California and principal investigator of the Eeva study. "Eeva provided early insights that we expect will prove to be valuable for cycle consultation and planning of future treatment with our patients. The ability to predict with an increased degree of accuracy appears to be outstanding and will change the way we care for our IVF patients."

"We are delighted that these study results both confirm the groundbreaking discovery published by Stanford University in Nature Biotechnology and demonstrate the clinical value that Eeva provides to reproductive specialists and their patients," said Lissa Goldenstein, president and chief executive officer of Auxogyn. "These data, which we included in both our CE and FDA regulatory filings, represent significant progress in our commitment to the rigorous study and validation of our technology, which we believe is essential in the IVF field."

"Given our progress to date, we expect to receive CE clearance for Eeva in the EU imminently," added Ms. Goldenstein. "We are also on track to submit our 510(k) filing to the FDA this month."

About IVFInfertility affects one of every six couples, but little or no new scientific and clinical breakthroughs in reproductive health have occurred in decades. The demand for assisted reproduction tools and procedures is growing by approximately 10 percent per year due to higher infertility rates caused by an increasing maternal age as more women are starting families later in life. The demand is growing despite the fact that, in the U.S., the cost per cycle is between $13,000 and $15,000, and only one-third of cycles result in a live birth. This necessitates the transfer of multiple embryos and/or conducting multiple cycles, leading to greater physical, emotional, practical and financial costs, before determining if pregnancy can be achieved.

About the Eeva TestAuxogyn's non-invasive, Early Embryo Viability Assessment (Eeva) Test is designed to improve IVF outcomes by providing clinicians and patients with objective information that will enable them to more confidently select embryo(s) for transfer. Eeva's proprietary software automatically analyzes embryo development against scientifically and clinically validated cell-division parameters. With Eeva's quantitative data for each embryo's potential development, IVF clinics may be able to optimize the treatment path for their patients undergoing IVF procedures. Eeva is limited by United States law to investigational use and is under clinical investigation in the European Union.

About AuxogynAuxogyn is revolutionizing the field of reproductive medicine by translating scientific discoveries in early embryo development into clinical tools. The Company's flagship product, the Eeva Test, delivers consistent, objective and quantitative information regarding embryo viability that reproductive endocrinologists and infertility patients can use to make important treatment decisions. Auxogyn is privately held and funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Merck Serono Ventures, SR One and TPG Biotech. For more information regarding Auxogyn please visit http://www.auxogyn.com.

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Auxogyn Presents New Data Showing the Ability of Eeva(TM) to Non-Invasively Predict Embryo Advancement With Increased ...

Public release date: 2-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Christine Bauquis christine@eshre.eu 32-499-258-046 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Istanbul, 2 July 2012: While many small studies have shown a relationship between infertility and psychological distress, reporting a high prevalence of anxiety, mood disorders and depressive symptoms, few have studied the psychological effect of childlessness on a large population basis. Now, based on the largest cohort of women with fertility problems compiled to date, Danish investigators have shown that women who remained childless after their first investigation for infertility had more hospitalisations for psychiatric disorders than women who had at least one child following their investigation.

The results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) by Dr Birgitte Baldur-Felskov, an epidemiologist from the Danish Cancer Research Center in Copenhagen.

Most studies of this kind have been based on single clinics and self-reported psychological effects. This study, however, was a nationwide follow-up of 98,737 Danish women investigated for infertility between 1973 and 2008, who were then cross-linked via Denmark's population-based registries to the Danish Psychiatric Central Registry. This provided information on hospitalisations for psychiatric disorders, which were divided into an inclusive group of "all mental disorders", and six discharge sub-groups which comprised "alcohol and intoxicant abuse", "schizophrenia and psychoses", "affective disorders including depression", "anxiety, adjustment and obsessive compulsive disorder", "eating disorders", and "other mental disorders".

All women were followed from the date of their initial fertility investigation until the date of psychiatric event, date of emigration, date of death, date of hospitalisation or 31st December 2008, whichever came first. Such studies, said Dr Baldur-Felskov, could only be possible in somewhere like Denmark, where each citizen has a personal identification number which can be linked to any or all of the country's diagnostic registries.

Results of the study showed that, over an average follow-up time of 12.6 years (representing 1,248,243 woman-years), 54% of the 98,737 women in the cohort did have a baby. Almost 5000 women from the entire cohort were hospitalised for a psychiatric disorder, the most common discharge diagnosis being "anxiety, adjustment and obsessive compulsive disorders" followed by "affective disorders including depression".

However, those women who remained childless after their initial fertility investigation had a statistically significant (18%) higher risk of hospitalisations for all mental disorders than the women who went on to have a baby; the risk was also significantly greater for alcohol/substance abuse (by 103%), schizophrenia (by 47%) and other mental disorders (by 43%). The study also showed that childlessness increased the risk of eating disorders by 47%, although this was not statistically significant.

However, the most commonly seen discharge diagnosis in the entire cohort (anxiety, adjustment and obsessive compulsive disorders) was not affected by fertility status.

Commenting on the study's results, Dr Baldur-Felskov said: "Our study showed that women who remained childless after fertility evaluation had an 18% higher risk of all mental disorders than the women who did have at least one baby. These higher risks were evident in alcohol and substance abuse, schizophrenia and eating disorders, although appeared lower in affective disorders including depression.

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Childless women with fertility problems at higher risk of hospitalization for psychiatric disorders

ScienceDaily (July 2, 2012) The number of babies born as a result of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) has reached an estimated total of 5 million since the world's first, Louise Brown, was born in July 1978. The figures were presented at the 28th annual meeting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology), which began 1st July, in Istanbul, Turkey.

The calculation was made for a presentation at the congress from ICMART (International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies) and was based on the number of IVF and ICSI treatment cycles recorded worldwide up to 2008 with estimations added for the following three years. The cumulative total of births was put at 4.6 million last year, and this year has now reached an approximate total of 5 million.

Commenting on this remarkable milestone, Dr David Adamson, from Fertility Physicians of Northern California, USA, and Chairman of ICMART, said: "It means that this technology has been highly successful in treating infertile patients. Millions of families with children have been created, thereby reducing the burden of infertility.

"The technology has improved greatly over the years to increase pregnancy rates. The babies are as healthy as those from other infertile patients who conceive spontaneously. The technology is available globally in many different cultures. The major barriers to access are economic, and societal in some situations. With these accomplishments as a technology, and with recognition of Professor Robert Edwards as a Nobel Laureate, IVF is firmly established now in the mainstream of medicine."

Other ICMART data indicate that around 1.5 million ART cycles are now performed globally each year, producing around 350,000 babies. This number continues to rise. The two most active countries of the world are the USA and Japan, but the most active region by far is Europe.

The picture in Europe

The latest European data to be presented at the ESHRE congress are for 2009, and show that demand for treatment -- as expressed in treatment cycles performed in European countries -- continues to grow, from 532,260 in 2008 to 537,287 in 2009.

The average availability of ART in Europe is close to 1000 cycles/million inhabitants, but this figure varies greatly between countries and is largely dependent on local state funding policies. Availability in Europe is greater than in the USA but less than in Australia.

Dr Anna Pia Ferraretti, chairman of ESHRE's IVF Monitoring Consortium, said that the global need for ART is estimated to be at least 1500 cycles/million population per year, a figure only seen in Denmark (2726 cycles/million), Belgium (2562 cycles), Czech Republic (1851 cycles), Slovenia (1840 cycles), Sweden (1800 cycles), Finland (1701 cycles) and Norway (1780 cycles). Countries with much lower availability included Austria (747 cycles/million), Germany (830 cycles), Italy (863 cycles) and UK (879 cycles).

Success rates from a single "fresh" treatment cycle of IVF and ICSI -- as first indicated in data for 2008 presented last year -- seem to have stabilised, at around 32% pregnancy rate per embryo transfer (and 28% per aspiration). Dr Ferraretti said there had been a notable decline in the number of embryos transferred, with cumulative delivery rates, which include the transfer of frozen/thawed embryos from the same stimulation cycle, now representing "the best indicator of outcome." By using this endpoint, she explained, delivery rates can increase substantially while maintaining a very low multiple rate.

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World's number of IVF and ICSI babies has now reached a calculated total of 5 million