Morphokinetics and embryo aneuploidy: has time come or not yet?

Area of Science:

• Embryology
• Genetics
• Reproductive Medicine

Background:

• Aneuploidy is a major cause of implantation failure and miscarriage in human IVF.
• Morphokinetic analysis combined with genetic testing can identify aneuploid embryos.
• Current risk models for aneuploidy require validation across different IVF settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of time-lapse imaging (TLI) in assessing human embryo aneuploidy risk.
• To determine if TLI can aid in subselecting embryos for genetic testing.
• To explore the potential of TLI to reduce invasive embryo biopsy procedures.

Main Methods:

• Morphokinetic analysis of early human embryos using time-lapse imaging.
• Trophectoderm biopsy for chromosomal enumeration via array technology.
• Comparison of developmental timings between euploid and aneuploid embryos.

Main Results:

• Aneuploid embryos exhibited delayed blastocyst formation initiation and progression compared to euploid embryos.
• A risk factor classification model for human embryo aneuploidy was established based on morphokinetic data.
• Clinic-specific validation of TLI-based risk models is necessary due to variations in timing parameters.

Conclusions:

• Time-lapse imaging shows promise in identifying embryos with a high risk of aneuploidy.
• TLI may allow for more targeted application of invasive biopsy procedures.
• Further research is needed to confirm TLI's role in optimizing embryo selection in IVF.