Latest IVF Discovery Might Increase Success Rates By 50 %

12, March 2015: In the UK, statistically IVF does have a low success rate, with 75 % of cycles failing to produce a baby, however the The Daily Mail recently published a report saying that researchers have now identified the molecular switch involved in the process that stops an embryo from being accepted in the mother's womb, who say that this switch could be blocked with the use of drugs, helping to improve IVF success rates. IVF or in vitro fertilisation is currently the only hope for numerous women wanting to have a baby, with some 50,000 going through the treatment every year in the UK, though regardless of its popularity, the procedure does have a low success rate, with 75 percent of IVF cycles failing to produce a child. 

The report says that Manchester University scientists now think they have discovered a way to slash the failure rate by half, revealing the discovery of the 'molecular switch' which stops an embryo from being accepted in the mother's womb. According to the report, if that switch can be obstructed with drugs, it could potentially increase the number of infants born utilizing IVF by up to 18,000 a year. Current figures reveal that about 37 percent of IVF cycles are believed to fail because the embryo does not implant into the wall of the uterus, with women who repeatedly suffer this failure have actually been shown to have high levels of a molecular switch, which interferes in the interaction between the embryo and the mum's womb. 

In laboratory tests, the scientists discovered that if they decreased levels of the molecule, called microRNA-145, the embryo was less likely to be rejected. Research leader Professor John Aplin, whose work is published in the Journal of Cell Science, stated... "When an embryo is ready for implantation, its replacement is perfectly timed to coincide with the window of optimum receptivity in the uterus." Professor Aplin's investigating team discovered that a protein called IGF1R is needed throughout the four-day window for the embryo to adhere to the uterus, with their tests suggesting that the microRNA-145 molecular switch does stop the essential protein from growing during that window. 

According to the report, there are currently chemicals on the marketplace which have been proven to block microRNAs, and those could be developed to stop this molecular switch from interfering in the IVF process. "There are great deals of ways in which we can prevent microRNAs in the laboratory," said Dr Karen Forbes, saying that eventually drugs could be created to improve implantation rates. Aplin added... "This is one of the hardest groups of women to deal with in fertility science, and IVF success rates are still very low across the board. Repeated IVF cycles are demanding and can be pricey too. Likewise, a greater understanding of the mechanisms which control success or failure can lead straight to treatments to make IVF cycles more reliable so that sterile couples can start their families." 

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