研究開発・学会発表

PGD and PGS are regulated by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Hence these procedures are not performed routinely in Japan. Since many studies have reported increased implantation rates and avoiding the transfer of aneuploid embryos, Japan now permits research on the effects of PGS in some registered facilities. As the success of PGS greatly depends on the biopsy technique, Japanese embryologists will be trained in the use of this technique, before it is used clinically. Our aim is to establish a reliable and secure biopsy method.
A biopsy which does not require a laser system for TE dissection, makes it possible to reduce the time of the procedure and may also reduce the number of damaged cells resulting from multiple laser pulses, that are required for detaching TE cells for sampling. We also plan to perform non-laser TE biopsy after the embryo is fully hatched.
It is considered that removal of more than 10 TE cells would cause severe damage to the embryo. Removal of a minimum number of cells required for the biopsy is essential. However, if less than 5 TE cells are collected it is difficult to locate them and position them in a PCR tube under the stereo microscope. Moreover, contamination with fragmented cells and granulosa cells causes inaccurate results. Hence, we have developed a novel method for placing a biopsy sample directly into a PCR tube, employing an inverted microscope immediately after a TE biopsy.
In this video presentation, we show an improved and effective non-laser TE biopsy method for PGD/PGS. This is combined with time-lapse observations of the hatching process in order to find an optimal time to perform the TE biopsy. Subsequently we show the novel method for placing a biopsy sample directly into a PCR tube.