Reproductive Ageing: Declining translational capacity as a potential driver for oocyte meiotic instability.

In Brief: This point of view article focuses on the potential contribution of defects in protein synthesis (translation) to the incidence of oocyte meiotic failure. We discuss the potential cause of diminished oocyte translation during aging and the impact of these deficits on the function of the meiotic spindle.

Abstract: Errors during female meiosis lead to embryonic aneuploidy and miscarriage and occur with increasing frequency during aging.

Is a day 7 blastocyst predictive of the reproductive potential of sibling day 5 and day 6 blastocysts?

Purpose: To explore if a day 7 blastocyst is predictive of the reproductive potential of sibling day 5 or day 6 blastocysts?

Methods: Retrospective cohort of autologous frozen embryo transfers (FET), February 2019 to April 2022. Cycles divided into groups 1 to 5, according to the day of embryo cryopreservation and the presence of a day 7 blastocyst sibling within the cohort: group 1/group 2-day 5 blastocyst without/with a day 7 sibling, group 3/group 4-day 6 blastocyst without/with a day 7 sibling, group 5-day 7 blastocyst. Clinical, ongoing pregnancy and miscarriage rates, cycle, and patient characteristics are reported.

Building Healthy Babies: A Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment for a Pre-Conception Program in Ontario.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to gather Ontario clinicians' and public members' views on the design of a pre-conception patient education program.

Methods: In this mixed-methods study, online surveys comprised of rank order, multiple choice, and short answer questions were completed by clinicians and public members. Semi-structured focus groups consisting of 2-6 participants each were then held via videoconference.

Patients' and providers' perspectives on the decision to undergo non-urgent egg freezing: a needs assessment.

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that patients have difficulty with the decision to undergo non-urgent egg freezing (EF). This study aimed to investigate the decisional difficulties and possible decisional support mechanisms for patients considering EF, and for their providers.

Methods: This qualitative study involved a needs assessment via individual interviews.

Sequential Exposure to IL21 and IL15 During Human Natural Killer Cell Expansion Optimizes Yield and Function.

Natural killer (NK) cells are frequently expanded for the clinic using irradiated, engineered K562 feeder cells expressing a core transgene set of membrane-bound (mb) IL15 and/or mbIL21 together with 41BBL. Prior comparisons of mbIL15 to mbIL21 for NK expansion lack comparisons of key attributes of the resulting NK cells, including their high-dimensional phenotype, polyfunctionality, the breadth and potency of cytotoxicity, cellular metabolism, and activity in xenograft tumor models. Moreover, despite multiple rounds of K562 stimulation, studies of sequential use of mbIL15- and mbIL21-based feeder cells are absent.

Exploiting the CD200-CD200R immune checkpoint axis in multiple myeloma to enhance CAR T-cell therapy.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated with B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells usually relapse with BCMA+ disease, indicative of CAR T-cell suppression. CD200 is an immune checkpoint that is overexpressed on aberrant plasma cells (aPCs) in MM and is an independent negative prognostic factor for survival. However, CD200 is not present on MM cell lines, a potential limitation of current preclinical models.

Deep learning analysis of endometrial histology as a promising tool to predict the chance of pregnancy after frozen embryo transfers.

Purpose: Endometrial histology on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained preparations provides information associated with receptivity. However, traditional histological examination by Noyes' dating method is of limited value as it is prone to subjectivity and is not well correlated with fertility status or pregnancy outcome. This study aims to mitigate the weaknesses of Noyes' dating by analyzing endometrial histology through deep learning (DL) algorithm to predict the chance of pregnancy.

Patients' and providers' perspectives on non-urgent egg freezing decision-making: a thematic analysis.

Background: The decision to undergo non-urgent egg freezing (EF) is complex for patients and providers supporting them. Though prior studies have explored patient perspectives, no study has also included the separate perspectives of providers.

Methods: This qualitative study involved semi-structured individual interviews exploring the decision to undergo EF.

Quantification of Celiac Disease Severity Using Video Capsule Endoscopy: A Comparison of Human Experts and Machine Learning Algorithms.

Background: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is an attractive method for diagnosing and objectively monitoring disease activity in celiac disease (CeD). Its use, facilitated by artificial intelligence- based tools, may allow computer-assisted interpretation of VCE studies, transforming a subjective test into a quantitative and reproducible measurement tool.

Objective: To evaluate and compare objective CeD severity assessment as determined with VCE by expert human readers and a machine learning algorithm (MLA).

Providers' perspectives on the reproductive decision-making of BRCA-positive women.

Background: Reproductive decision-making is difficult for BRCA-positive women. Our objective was to assess the complexities of decision-making and identify decisional supports for patients and providers when discussing reproductive options prior to risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO).

Methods: This study was of qualitive design, using data collection via semi-structured interviews conducted from November 2018 to October 2020.

The effect of the Ontario Fertility Program on IVF utilization and outcomes in women of advanced reproductive age.

Research Question: Are the demographics and clinical outcomes similar for patients aged ≥40 but <43 years seeking IVF in Ontario, Canada, before and after implementation of the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP), which supports public funding of IVF up to age 43?

Design: Retrospective database review using the Canadian Assisted Reproductive Technologies Registry Plus (CARTR Plus) and Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario databases. Cycles from women who underwent autologous IVF and who were aged ≥40 and <43 years were analysed during a 2-year period prior to (2014-2015) and after (2016-2017) introduction of publicly funded IVF through the OFP.

Results: There was an almost doubling of treatment cycles in women aged 40-42 in Ontario after the OFP launch.

End-to-end pipeline for differential analysis of pausing in ribosome profiling data.

Ribosome profiling is a powerful technique which maps the distribution of ribosomes along mRNAs to analyze translation genome-wide. Ribosome density can be affected by multiple factors, such as changes to translation initiation or elongation rates. We describe the application of a metric for identifying genes rate-limited by these rates by analyzing the relative distribution of ribosome footprints along transcripts.

A synopsis of global frontiers in fertility preservation.

Since 2007, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference has brought together a diverse network of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and professional levels to disseminate emerging basic and clinical research findings in fertility preservation. This network also developed enduring educational materials to accelerate the pace and quality of field-wide scientific communication. Between 2007 and 2019, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference was held as an in-person event in Chicago, IL.

Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) reference values in the CALIPER cohort of healthy community children and adolescents.

The assessment of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) pre- and post-gonadotoxic treatment helps define reproductive potential in young female adults facing cancer treatment. Normative childhood AMH levels are not well defined. Our objective was to help establish accurate pediatric reference intervals (RIs) for which AMH can be used to assess AMH in pediatric/adolescent survivors.

FMRP-dependent production of large dosage-sensitive proteins is highly conserved.

Mutations in FMR1 are the most common heritable cause of autism spectrum disorder. FMR1 encodes an RNA-binding protein, FMRP, which binds to long, autism-relevant transcripts and is essential for normal neuronal and ovarian development. In contrast to the prevailing model that FMRP acts to block translation elongation, we previously found that FMRP activates the translation initiation of large proteins in Drosophila oocytes.

Universal symptom monitoring to address presenteeism in healthcare workers.

Background: The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic has required rapid development of both governmental and institutional policies and protocols to minimize transmission. We describe our institution's implementation of a symptom monitoring program with this goal.

Methods: We developed a symptom monitoring tool based on our return-to-work guidelines using a Qualtrics survey tool.

Endometrial laminin subunit beta-3 expression associates with reproductive outcome in patients with repeated implantation failure.

Purpose: Endometrial laminin subunit beta-3 (LAMB3) is a candidate gene whose expression distinguishes the endometrial window of receptivity (WOR) in human. This study aims to examine endometrial LAMB3 levels in patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF), in order to assess the ability of LAMB3 to predict pregnancy outcome.

Methods: Endometrial biopsies were taken during the WOR from 21 healthy volunteers in natural menstrual cycles and from 50 RIF patients in mock cycles prior to frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles.

Risk of infertility in female adolescents and young adults with cancer: a population-based cohort study.

Study Question: Do female adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have a higher risk of subsequent infertility diagnosis than AYAs without cancer?

Summary Answer: Female AYAs with breast, hematological, thyroid and melanoma cancer have a higher risk of subsequent infertility diagnosis.

What Is Known Already: Cancer therapies have improved substantially, leading to dramatic increases in survival. As survival improves, there is an increasing emphasis on optimizing the quality of life among cancer survivors.

Cargo small non-coding RNAs of extracellular vesicles isolated from uterine fluid associate with endometrial receptivity and implantation success.

Objective: To optimize a method of isolating extracellular vesicles (EVs) from uterine fluid and to characterize small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) from the EVs, with the goal of identifying novel receptivity-associated biomarkers.

Design: Longitudinal study comparing sncRNA expression profiles from endometrial EVs.

Setting: University-affiliated, hospital-based fertility clinic.

Top 10 priorities for future infertility research: an international consensus development study† ‡.

Study Question: Can the priorities for future research in infertility be identified?

Summary Answer: The top 10 research priorities for the four areas of male infertility, female and unexplained infertility, medically assisted reproduction and ethics, access and organization of care for people with fertility problems were identified.

What Is Known Already: Many fundamental questions regarding the prevention, management and consequences of infertility remain unanswered. This is a barrier to improving the care received by those people with fertility problems.