IVF: the Squishy Squashy Technique to check Embryo Viability

Much like a piece of ripe fruit, a human embryo has a certain squishiness that could provide fertility clinic staff with clues about its viability, a new study finds.

Human oocyte developmental potential is predicted by mechanical properties within hours after fertilization, NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, Article number: 10809, doi:10.1038/ncomms10809, February 24, 2016.

The causes of embryonic arrest during pre-implantation development are poorly understood.
Attempts to correlate patterns of oocyte gene expression with successful embryo development have been hampered by the lack of reliable and nondestructive predictors of viability at such an early stage.

Here we report that zygote viscoelastic properties can predict blastocyst formation in humans and mice within hours after fertilization, with >90% precision, 95% specificity and 75% sensitivity. We demonstrate that there are significant differences between the transcriptomes of viable and non-viable zygotes, especially in expression of genes important for oocyte maturation. In addition, we show that low-quality oocytes may undergo insufficient cortical granule release and zona-hardening, causing altered mechanics after fertilization.

Checking Embryo Viability? Give It a Good Squeeze, livescience, February 25, 2016.

Our results suggest that embryo potential is largely determined by the quality and maturation of the oocyte before fertilization, and can be predicted through a minimally invasive mechanical measurement at the zygote stage.

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