Identification of predictive microRNA biomarkers for improved success of assisted reproductive technologies

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) encompass evidence-based approaches to reproduction that lead to improved fertility through the integration of pharmacological, clinical and laboratory procedures. Growth in the requirement for improved fertility outcomes has lead to the emergence of clinic-based industries in both the medical and veterinary sectors that are dedicated to enhancing the success of ART procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET). These procedures involve the acquisition of oocytes (eggs) from the mother, fertilizing them with sperm from the father, and incubating them through the earliest phases of development prior to reintroduction into the mother. With this proposal, we aim to initiate a partnership with ONE Fertility, an industry-leading Ontario Fertility clinic, to address an important problem affecting the entire industry, namely, how to identify embryos with the highest probability of a successful pregnancy. Embryos from human ART clinics cannot be readily used to develop improvements on existing technologies as any subsequent pregnancy might be jeopardized. Furthermore, many of the "models" such as mice that are often used in medical research are markedly different from humans. In contrast, the developmental events are highly similar between humans and cattle, and we routinely employ similar IVF protocols for this species. Importantly, preliminary studies have shown that small specific RNA markers are critical for development in both human and bovine embryos and have the potential to reflect the likelihood of a successful pregnancy. Using bovine embryos, we will examine several such markers that are also present in humans to determine how they change and whether the changes are associated with successful embryo growth. We will also determine whether the levels change in the media in which the embryos are grown. If successful, this project will establish important principles and a key model that can be employed by the ART industry to improve reproductive success.