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Updated: May 24, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Long-Term Health Impacts of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection on Offspring
Published on: May 17, 2024
Association between imprinting disorders and assisted reproductive technologies
Masayo Kagami1, Kaori Hara-Isono1,2, Aiko Sasaki3
1Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
Aberrant expression of imprinted genes results in imprinting disorders (IDs). Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) reveal parental-origin-specific DNA methylation on CpGs and regulate the expression of the imprinted genes. One etiology of IDs is epimutation (epi-IDs) induced by some error in the establishment or maintenance of methylation imprint during the processes of gametogenesis, fertilization, or early embryonic development. Therefore, it has been a concern that assisted reproductive technologies (ART) increase the risk for the development of IDs, particularly epi-IDs. We review the effects of ART on DNA methylation of the genome, including DMRs in gametes, embryos, and offspring, and the risk of advanced parental age (a confounding factor of ART) and infertility itself for the development of IDs, particularly epi-IDs.
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