News | Study Finds Screening Sperm Mutations May Improve IVF Success
A preliminary study suggests that screening for new harmful genetic mutations in sperm may help fertility specialists prevent these mutations from being passed to offspring during in vitro fertilization (IVF), potentially improving reproductive treatment outcomes. The study was published in the international journal eLife.
"Men's sperm commonly carry dozens of new genetic mutations, some of which may be harmful to offspring," said co-senior author Dr. Martin Breuss, assistant professor of clinical genetics and metabolism in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "However, it remains unclear whether testing for these mutations can predict or prevent transmission to the next generation."
To investigate, the research team recruited three couples undergoing IVF. They used whole-genome sequencing to analyze each man's sperm sample for new mutations. The team then tested the couples' early embryos to determine whether the mutations were present.
Researchers identified 55 new mutations in the sperm samples. Of these, 15 appeared in embryos, and some were present in more than one embryo, resulting in 19 recorded transmission events. Although the mutations could be passed to embryos, their actual transmission rate was slightly lower than the team initially expected.
"Our results confirm that new mutations in sperm can be passed to embryos," said co-first author Xiaoxu Yang, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego. "Preimplantation genetic screening can identify embryos that did not inherit harmful mutations, thereby reducing genetic risk."
In earlier related research, the team reported that approximately one in every 300 babies born through IVF experiences a pregnancy complication or health problem caused by a new mutation in the father's sperm.
"If larger studies validate our findings, this new method may help more families experiencing infertility reduce the risk of pregnancy failure or congenital disease and improve expected outcomes across reproductive treatment," concluded senior author Dr. Joseph Gleeson, director of neurodevelopmental genetics at the Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine in San Diego.
News | Study Finds Screening Sperm Mutations May Improve IVF Success
News | Study Finds Screening Sperm Mutations May Improve IVF Success
A preliminary study suggests that screening for new harmful genetic mutations in sperm may help fertility specialists prevent these mutations from being passed to offspring during in vitro fertilization (IVF), potentially improving reproductive treatment outcomes. The study was published in the international journal eLife.
"Men's sperm commonly carry dozens of new genetic mutations, some of which may be harmful to offspring," said co-senior author Dr. Martin Breuss, assistant professor of clinical genetics and metabolism in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "However, it remains unclear whether testing for these mutations can predict or prevent transmission to the next generation."
To investigate, the research team recruited three couples undergoing IVF. They used whole-genome sequencing to analyze each man's sperm sample for new mutations. The team then tested the couples' early embryos to determine whether the mutations were present.
Researchers identified 55 new mutations in the sperm samples. Of these, 15 appeared in embryos, and some were present in more than one embryo, resulting in 19 recorded transmission events. Although the mutations could be passed to embryos, their actual transmission rate was slightly lower than the team initially expected.
"Our results confirm that new mutations in sperm can be passed to embryos," said co-first author Xiaoxu Yang, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego. "Preimplantation genetic screening can identify embryos that did not inherit harmful mutations, thereby reducing genetic risk."
In earlier related research, the team reported that approximately one in every 300 babies born through IVF experiences a pregnancy complication or health problem caused by a new mutation in the father's sperm.
"If larger studies validate our findings, this new method may help more families experiencing infertility reduce the risk of pregnancy failure or congenital disease and improve expected outcomes across reproductive treatment," concluded senior author Dr. Joseph Gleeson, director of neurodevelopmental genetics at the Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine in San Diego.
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