Assisted Conception Service, Glasgow Royal Infirmary
The effect of biomass reduction on embryo development after biopsy of either one or two blastomeres
(R0175)
Some couples are at risk of transmitting a genetic disorder to their children. This is because one or both of them carry a gene for that specific disorder.
One option for these couples is to become pregnant and then undergo a prenatal test such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling at 10-16 weeks. If the fetus is found to be affected then the couple have to decide whether they wish to continue with the pregnancy or have a termination.
Other couples suffer repeated miscarriages due to the fetus having a chromosome abnormality. In vitro fertilisation followed by Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) allows the diagnosis of abnormalities in embryos at an early stage, before they are replaced in the womb. This involves removing one or two cells from an embryo and performing a test on each cell. Only embryos free from the specific genetic disease are transferred to the patient.
Some tests are more reliable if more than one cell is removed and tested but there is debate about the effect this has on the embryo's development.
This study aims to assess the impact of removed cell size and cell number upon subsequent development of the embryo.
Embryos which are unsuitable fror treatment and which have been donated for research, will be examined to quantify the impact of the size of the cells removed as well as the number.
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Page last updated: 11 April 2009
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