In vitro fertilization and andrology laboratory in 2030: expert visions.

The aim of this article is to gather 9 thought leaders and their team members to present their ideas about the future of in vitro fertilization and the andrology laboratory. Although we have seen much progress and innovation in the laboratory over the years, there is still much to come, and this article looks at what these leaders think will be important in the future development of technology and processes in the laboratory.

In vitro fertilization and andrology laboratories in 2030.

The in vitro fertilization and andrology laboratories are at the center of assisted reproductive technologies and the place where technicians and embryologists manipulate gametes and preimplantation-stage embryos with the goal of achieving the best embryo for transfer. Through the years, these laboratories have seen developments in technique, technology, and testing. The goal of this Views and Interviews series is to bring together the thought leaders in the field and envision what the laboratories will look like in the next 10 years.

Single-center thorough evaluation and targeted treatment of globozoospermic men.

Purpose: To characterize, by specific biomarkers and nucleic acid sequencing, the structural and genomic sperm characteristics of partial (PG) and complete globozoospermic (CG) men in order to identify the best reproductive treatment.

Methods: We assessed spermatozoa from 14 consenting men ultrastructurally, as well as for histone content, sperm chromatin integrity, and sperm aneuploidy. Additional genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic evaluations were carried out to further characterize the CG cohort.

Thoughts on the popularity of ICSI.

Purpose: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the most widely utilized assisted reproductive technique (ART) worldwide. In this feature, we review the early assisted fertilization attempts that eventually led to the development of ICSI, and discuss its current utilization in cases of male and non-male factor infertility.

Methods: We researched the literature related to the development, indications, and current use of ICSI, such as sperm structural abnormalities, male genetic indications, surgically retrieved sperm, high sperm chromatin fragmentation, oocyte dysmorphism, and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT).

Identification and treatment of men with phospholipase Cζ-defective spermatozoa.

Objective: To identify and treat the gamete responsible for complete fertilization failure with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using a newly proposed assisted gamete treatment (AGT).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Center for reproductive medicine.

Sperm Genomic Integrity by TUNEL Varies throughout the Male Genital Tract.

Purpose: We assessed sperm chromatin fragmentation at different levels of the male genital tract.

Materials And Methods: Ejaculated specimens from consenting male partners were screened for sperm chromatin fragmentation by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling). Men with intracytoplasmic sperm injection failure and high ejaculated sperm chromatin fragmentation underwent surgery to retrieve spermatozoa from different levels of the male genital tract, which were then reassessed for sperm chromatin fragmentation.

High proportion of immature oocytes in a cohort reduces fertilization, embryo development, pregnancy and live birth rates following ICSI.

Research Question: Ooplasmic maturity has been studied for some time, but remains poorly defined. This study aimed to evaluate metaphase II (MII) oocyte competence in terms of fertilization, embryo development and cycle outcomes, according to the oocyte maturity ratio.

Design: Couples treated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) between 1993 and 2017 with female partners ≤35 years old were included.

A treatment approach for couples with disrupted sperm DNA integrity and recurrent ART failure.

Objective: To test a novel method to select spermatozoa with high chromatin integrity.

Design: Specimens with high sperm chromatin fragmentation (SCF) were selected by density gradient selection (DGS) and microfluidic sperm sorting (MSS).

Setting: Academic medical center.

Optimizing the first-line fertility treatment.

The objective of this study was to identify sperm score thresholds to achieve satisfactory intrauterine insemination (IUI) success rates according to the response to stimulation with clomiphene citrate (CC). To minimize the confounding effect of female age, we included only CC/IUI cycles of women ≤35 years old. A total of 1,194 CC/IUI cycles were included.