In Vitro fertilization: only healthy eggs!
The first children were born, developed from genetically "pure" eggs
ABC Magazine based on EurekAlert materials:
First babies born from genetic screening studyTwo women who took part in the first international controlled study of a genetic test conducted before IVF successfully gave birth to healthy children.
Two twin girls were born in Germany in June, and a boy was born in Italy in September. This is the first result of the application of a new experimental method of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), which allows culling eggs with chromosomal abnormalities before IVF.
Over the more than 30-year history of IVF, scientists have found that many transplanted embryos have chromosomal abnormalities. Two out of three embryos do not develop into pregnancy in many respects precisely because of genetic abnormalities. The purpose of comparative genomic hybridization is to reduce the number of unsuccessful IVF and increase the fertility rate. In both cases of child birth, fetuses developed from eggs whose chromosomal status was assessed using CGH chips.
During the analysis, a polar body is taken from an egg at the stage of fertilization, which contains a duplicated set of chromosomes. The new method allows you to check the quality of all 23 chromosomes, and not a limited number, as it was before. In the future, a biopsy of cells from the developing embryo is not required, and the study of the polar calf can be carried out in real time and does not require freezing of the embryo. In addition, in earlier genetic studies of developing embryos, due to the "mosaic" of chromosomes, it was not possible to determine the full genetic status of the embryo - in CGH this problem is not worth it.
Another important plus of the new method. In some countries, such as Germany, genetic analysis of the embryo is prohibited, so comparative genomic hybridization carried out before the embryo is obtained is a reliable solution to this issue.
In the near future, it is planned that the CGH analysis will be performed by patients going to IVF, older than 37 years and women who already have a history of unsuccessful IVF, as well as cases of miscarriage. In the meantime, scientists are preparing for the next stage: conducting major international clinical trials, which will begin in 2011.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru19.10.2010