Main description:

In recent years, the advancing science and increasing availability of assisted reproduction have given new hope to infertile couples. However, the use of IVF and ART has also led to marked increases in the number of multiple-infant live births. This poses a public health concern, as these neonates have a higher rate of pre-term delivery, compromising their survival chances and increasing their risk of lifelong disability. By optimizing the selection of gametes and embryos with high probabilities of implantation, it is possible to reduce the number of embryos transferred and, by extension, the number of high-risk multiple gestations, while maintaining or increasing pregnancy rates.

Human Gametes and Preimplantation Embryos: Assessment and Diagnosis provides a broad yet concise overview of established and developing methodologies for assessment of gamete and embryo viability in assisted reproduction. This book elucidates the best practices for precisely selecting viable specimens based on morphology and cleavage rate and covers the spectrum of emerging adjunctive technologies for predicting reproductive potential. The authors present their extensive knowledge of "omics" approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), with unbiased delineation of the associated advantages and potential pitfalls. This valuable clinical resource is well suited to infertility specialists, Ob/Gyn physicians, IVF laboratory technicians, and researchers in the fields of embryology and reproductive medicine.

Contents:

1. Current Practices and Regulations for Embryo Transfer Worldwide: Implications on IVF Outcome

Baris Ata and Emre Seli

2. Analysis of the Zona Pellucida as an Indicator of Oocyte Developmental Potential

Markus Montag, Thomas Schimming, and Maria Koester

3. Morphological Assessment of Oocytes, Pronuclear and Cleavage Stage Embryos

Laura Rienzi, Benedetta Iussig, and Filippo Ubaldi

4. Morphological Assessment of Blastocyst Stage Embryos: Types of Grading Systems and Their Reported Outcomes

Basak Balaban and David K. Gardner

5. Real Time Imaging Strategies to Improve Morphological Assessment

Maria Cruz, Manuel Munoz, and Marcos Meseguer

6. Limitations and Benefits of Morphologic Embryo Assessment Strategies: How Far Can Morphological Assessment Go in the Identification of Viable Embryos?

Denny Sakkas and David K. Gardner

7. Sperm Morphologic Characteristics and Their Impact on Embryo Quality and Pregnancy Outcome

Bhushan K. Gangrade and Ashok Agarwal

8. Objective Biomarkers of Sperm Development and Fertility: Assessment of Sperm-Zona Pellucida Binding Ability and Hyaluronic Acid Mediated Selection of Sperm for ICSI Fertilization

Gabor Huszar

9. Selecting the Best Sperm and Its Implications in Clinical Practice

Juan G. Alvarez

10. The Origins of Aneuploidy in Human Embryos

Elpida Fragouli and Joy Delhanty

11. Preimplantation Genetic Screening and Diagnosis Using Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH)

Tsilya Gerasimova and Maria D. Lalioti

12. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Next Generation Sequencing

Alan H. Handyside and Dagan Wells

13. Use of Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) and Microarray-CGH for Preimplantation Genetic Screening

Leeanda Wilton and Dagan Wells

14. Quantitative SNP Array and Real-Time PCR Based Human Preimplantation Embryo Aneuploidy Screening

Nathan R. Treff

15. Regulation of Gene Expression in the Oocyte and Early Embryo: Implications for Transcriptomic and Proteomic Embryo Assessment

Helena Kristiansson and Emre Seli

16. Transcriptomics Technology: Promise and Potential Pitfalls

Can Bruce and Asli Uyar

17. Transcriptomic Analysis of Cumulus and Granulosa Cells as a Marker of Embryo Viability

Elpida Fragouli and Dagan Wells

18. Mass Spectrometry, Proteomics and the Study of Sperm Cell Biology

Mark A. Baker and R. John Aitken

19. Proteomic Analysis of Embryo Viability

Mandy G Katz-Jaffe and Susanna McReynolds

20. Metabolism of the Viable Human Embryo

David K. Gardner

21. Analysis of Respiration as an Indicator of Oocyte and Embryo Developmental Potential

David L. Keefe

22. Mitochondrial Activity as a Biomarker of Gamete and Embryo Health

Jonathan Van Blerkom

23. Carbohydrate Analysis and Embryo Viability

Michelle Lane and David K. Gardner

24. Identification of Viable Embryos by Non-invasive Measurement of Amino Acids in Culture Media

Franchesca D. Houghton

25. Metabolomic Profiling of Embryos Using Spectroscopy

Denny Sakkas and Emre Seli

26. Microfluidic Devices for the Analysis of Gamete and Embryo Physiology

George A. Thouas, David L. Potter, and David K. Gardner