Advances in In Vitro Fertilization

Research on in vitro fertilization at the University of Michigan is taking significant strides. Researchers have found a method to keep the embryos viable for longer by softly rocking them while they grow. This method has only been tested in mice, but it has raised pregnancy rates by twenty-two percent so far. In order to accomplish this rocking motion, the researchers fashioned a machine that imitates the egg’s travel inside a mammal’s fallopian tubes. In this way, the egg is in an environment much like the one it would experience in vivo, and thus it is more likely to remain viable. The machine consists of “thimble-sized funnel[s]” that contain early-stage embryos. These funnels have small channels at the bottom that allow for nutrients to move in and waste to move out. The funnels are also attached to pins that move up and down, allowing the fluids to easily move in and out. In addition, this up and down movement is similar to that of the muscle contractions in vivo. Upon comparison, the eggs grown in this device seemed healthier than those grown in a static culture.

Currently, the success rate of in vitro fertilization is about thirty-five percent in women under 35. However, with this new machine, the success rate will increase this percentage. This increased success rate would lead to less embryos being implanted at once, and thus less multiple pregnancies. I chose this article because of the significant impact this study will have on women. Multiple pregnancies can potentially be very dangerous, leading to such things as preeclampsia or placental abruption. By decreasing the chance of multiple pregnancies, in vitro fertilization becomes safer for both the fetuses and the mother.

Source: http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=8132