Ovation Fertility™, a national network of reproductive endocrinologists and scientific thought leaders, is presenting new fertility research at the 34th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE®) in Barcelona, Spain, July 1-4, 2018. The abstracts accepted for four poster presentations and one oral presentation are the result of collaborative research involving 14 scientists and reproductive endocrinologists, working together across Ovation Fertility’s nationwide network of six IVF labs, two genetics labs and multiple partner fertility practices.
“We are pleased that all five abstracts submitted by Ovation Fertility were accepted for presentation at this preeminent scientific conference,” says Ovation Fertility Chief Executive Officer Nate Snyder. “We believe that our peers will be especially interested in our ICM-TE concordance research that proves the efficacy of preimplantation genetic screening. We’re also particularly proud of the poster presentation on the euploid rate of embryos derived from aspirated and ejaculated sperm, as this project was led by one of our young rising stars, Senior Embryologist Andrew Miller, who is one of our Ovation Fertility Research Residents.”
Collaborative New Fertility Research from Ovation Fertility
“Each of these studies touches on distinctly different topics important to the assisted reproductive technology community today, offering both applied and scientific value,” says Mitchel Schiewe, PhD, Ovation Fertility Newport Beach lab director. “These findings have been and can be used to improve outcomes for patients.”
- Oral presentation: Concordance rates among multiple trophectoderm samples and ICM remain high, proving the efficacy of NGS for preimplantation genetic screening. RE Anderson, JB Whitney, CM Rios, A Jones, A Harutunian, MC Schiewe. Are human blastocysts homogeneous for chromosomal copy number between multiple samples of the trophectoderm, and does trophectoderm ploidy accurately predict ICM ploidy? Upon re-biopsy, trophectoderm homogeneity for full gain or loss was 97%, while ICM concordance was 100%. Human blastocyst ploidy proved consistent between cell samples.
- Poster presentation: Euploid rate of embryos derived from aspirated and ejaculated sperm. A Miller, C Rios, K Silverberg, M VerMilyea. Embryos sourced from testicular sperm resulted in a significantly higher euploid rate than those from epididymal sperm. These data suggest that, in some patients, maturation of sperm through the epididymis may alter DNA during chromatin condensation. This, in turn, can cause an abnormal random assortment during fertilization, causing a potentially higher propensity of aneuploidy in the developing embryo. The findings suggest that sperm retrieved prior to further maturation in the epididymis, may be more effective to treat male patients with azoospermia.
- Poster presentation: Increased scrutiny of NGS profiles/ranking does not improve eSET implantation of euploid blastocysts: A randomized comparative trial. CM Rios, JB Whitney, M VerMilyea, A Jones, A Picou, K Balloch, N Nugent, K Silverberg, RE Anderson, MC Schiewe. Can next generation sequencing (NGS) profile ranking of euploid embryos better predict eSET implantation potential of top quality blastocysts in contrast to morphological grading alone? This study found that when blastocysts are both top-quality and euploid, the lack of noise on an NGS profile adds no benefit for eSET compared to embryo grading.
- Poster presentation: Induced cellular lysis and increased laser exposure during trophectoderm biopsies can generate low-level mosaic profiles: A prospective study. JB Whitney, CM Rios, K Balloch, RE Anderson, MC Schiewe. Can trophectoderm biopsy technique induce mosaicism using a technician-induced, manual cell lysis research model? Prospective induction of cellular damage on research aneuploid embryos revealed a positive correlation to mosaicism, suggesting that mosaicism can be a laboratory-created artifact.
- Poster presentation: Comparative effectiveness of a universal warming/dilution approach to blastocyst vitrification. MC Schiewe, S Zozula, R VanTol, A Jones, RE Anderson. Is the efficacy of vitrified human blastocyst post-warming dilution, using a universal sucrose dilution approach, comparable to standard manufacturer procedures? This study found that human blastocyst vitrification is equally effective using a simple sucrose step-down dilution approach, independent of the type of cryoprotective agent used.
About Ovation Fertility™
Ovation Fertility is a national network of reproductive endocrinologists and scientific thought leaders focused on reducing the cost of live birth through more efficient and effective fertility care. Ovation Fertility’s IVF and genetics laboratories and affiliated practices work collaboratively to raise the bar with state-of-the-art, evidence-based fertility services that give hopeful parents the best chance of a successful pregnancy. Physicians partner with Ovation Fertility to offer their patients advanced preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) and chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR). Ovation Fertility also provides donor eggs that come with the world’s first euploid embryo guarantee®, as well as secure frozen egg, embryo and sperm storage; consultative services to help IVF laboratories improve quality and performance; and fertility preservation programs that enable more women to freeze their eggs and build future families. Learn more about Ovation Fertility’s vision of a world without infertility at www.OvationFertility.com.
The selection of these abstracts for publication in the ESHRE press program does not imply endorsement by ESHRE of Ovation Fertility’s products and/or services.