[Mitochondria transfer from self-granular cells to improve embryos' quality]

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Mitochondrial research
• Assisted reproductive technologies

Context:

• Repeated in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failure or advanced maternal age (≥37 years) presents significant challenges in achieving successful pregnancy.
• Standard intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may not fully address oocyte quality issues contributing to implantation failure.
• Mitochondria play a crucial role in oocyte and embryo development, and their dysfunction can impact reproductive outcomes.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the efficacy of self-mitochondria transfer as a method to enhance embryo quality and pregnancy rates in patients with a history of IVF-ET failure or advanced maternal age.
• To compare the outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with a combined ICSI and self-mitochondria transfer approach.

Summary:

• This study involved 18 women undergoing IVF-ET with poor outcomes. Oocytes were divided into two groups: standard ICSI and ICSI with self-mitochondria transfer. Mitochondria were isolated from the patient's own cells and injected into oocytes.
• The self-mitochondria transfer group showed a significantly higher rate of good quality embryos (59.4%) compared to the ICSI-only group (34.9%).
• Fertilization rates were comparable between the groups (74.4% vs. 76.8%), but clinical pregnancies were observed in 7 out of 18 cases in the mitochondria transfer group.

Impact:

• Self-mitochondria transfer offers a promising adjunctive therapy to improve embryo quality and increase pregnancy rates in assisted reproductive technologies.
• This technique may be particularly beneficial for patients with diminished ovarian reserve or recurrent implantation failure.
• Further research is warranted to optimize the procedure and assess its long-term efficacy and safety.