Australian breakthrough in IVF enhances fertilisation rates by 10%

Pharma News: Australian researchers have discovered a revolutionary embryo culture medium that significantly increases fertilisation rates for couples undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection insemination (ICSI).

The randomised controlled trial (RCT), spearheaded by Melbourne IVF’s Scientific Director, Professor David Gardner, yielded remarkable results. By incorporating antioxidants – acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) – into the IVF culture media, the fertilisation rates for ICSI patients improved from 58% to an impressive 68%. These findings were unveiled at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual meeting on June 28.

Professor Gardner expressed his enthusiasm for the study’s implications, particularly for couples grappling with male-related infertility. “The results of this three-year clinical trial are very exciting and immensely encouraging for couples with male-related infertility, particularly as 50% of infertility cases that we see are due to ‘male factor,'” remarked Professor Gardner.

Furthermore, the inclusion of antioxidants in the IVF culture media led to a substantial increase in the number of viable blastocysts available for either transfer or cryopreservation (freeze). “We saw a significant difference; in the antioxidant group, there were 3.1 blastocysts, compared to 2.7 in the control group,” explained Professor Gardner, Virtus Health’s Group Director of ART, Scientific Innovation & Research.

To shed light on the significance of antioxidants in the development of embryos and the origin of the antioxidant media, Professor Gardner elaborated, “Antioxidants are molecules that protect cells and tissues from damage created by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Over the past seven years, studies in my lab at the University of Melbourne found that the addition of antioxidants to mouse oocytes, sperm, and embryo media have benefits for embryo development and foetal growth. On the basis of the comprehensive evidence from mouse models in the lab, a clinical trial at Melbourne IVF was developed to determine if antioxidants in media could also benefit human embryos.”

The implications of this research extend far beyond Australian shores, igniting international interest and sparking discussions within the medical community.

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