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NewsNewsProtein injection repairs aged eggs by restoring chromosome stability, helping improve IVF success rates for older mothers, according to new fertility research that offers a promising clinical advancement for reproductive health.
A laboratory technique showing that protein injection repairs aged eggs may offer a new way to improve IVF outcomes for older women, according to findings shared by researchers in Europe.
The work was carried out by a research team led by Dr. Melina Schuh at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Germany. Dr. Melina Schuh, who is also a co-founder of Ovo Labs, presented the data at the British Fertility Society Conference in Scotland. The study was released simultaneously on the preprint platform bioRxiv.
Fertility decreases rapidly with age because eggs created before birth have to lie dormant for years before being ovulated. While IVF is still moderately effective for women under age 35, success rates plummet after age 40 because eggs fail to evenly divide their chromosomes during meiosis. Mistakes during meiosis can lead to embryos with missing or extra chromosomes, causing IVF failure.
To improve fertility, the researchers targeted shugoshin1, a protein that keeps pairs of chromosomes glued together during egg development. Shugoshin1 levels decrease with age, weakening chromosomes' connection. The researchers experimented with restoring shugoshin1 to see if it would lessen defects.
Researchers microinjected shugoshin1 into mouse and donated human eggs. Microinjection resulted in a decrease in early chromosome separation. Human eggs experienced a decrease in chromosome defects from 53% to 29%. When looking specifically at eggs from women over 35, chromosome defects decreased from 65% to 44%. These findings suggest that protein injection repairs aged eggs by stabilising chromosome behaviour during division.
Currently, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the only widely used microinjection method in fertility clinics. The researchers say the approach uses comparable techniques and are discussing possible clinical trials with regulators.
Commenting on the findings, Professor Guzel Taylor of the University of Edinburgh said the work was “a very promising result,” adding, “Since most women start IVF with already aged eggs, this technology is highly significant.”
Further studies are planned to assess safety and effectiveness before the method can be tested in clinical IVF settings
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