Research applications

Lay summaries for research applications are available on this website as soon as applications have been processed. This is normally within a few days of a new application having been received by the HFEA.

Initial research applications:

Project Title

The vitrification of blastocysts following biopsy at the early-cleavage stage or blastocyst stage of embryo development - A Pilot Study

Centre

IVF Hammersmith

Person Responsible

Mr Geoffrey Trew

Lay Summary

This study aims to combine, for the first time, the techniques of blastocyst culture, biopsy and vitrification in an attempt to identify the most efficient method of freezing embryos for those patients who may need pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of their embryos in order to avoid the transmission of genetic disease to their resultant children.

Embryo biopsy can be performed at different stages of embryo development. They have been traditionally performed at cleavage-stage, when the embryo is three days old, but they can also be performed at blastocyt-stage, when the embryo is five to six days old.

There is increasing evidence to suggest that embryo biopsy at blastocyst-stage of development may be advantageous, as it causes potentially less damage to the embryos. After embryo biopsy and subsequent embryo transfer, remaining good quality can be frozen for a patients' future treatment.

Vitrification (ultra-rapid freezing) has been shown to offer increased freeze/thaw survival rates over the more conventional "slow" freezing protocols currently in use for blastocysts.

This study may help to answer the question of whether vitrification is a better method of freezing biopsied embryos and also at which stage it is better to biopsy the embryos to achieve the highest freeze/ thaw survival rates.Information gained from such a study may inform clinicians and patients on the most effective and efficient way of storing embryos.

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Project Title

Xenofree derivation of human embryonic stem cells

Centre

Cellartis AB, Dundee UK

Person Responsible

Dr Mikael Englund

Lay Summary

We aim to derive embryonic stem cell lines using techniques free of animal contamination. To develop this technology is necessary so that stem cells later can be used for disease therapies.

The vast majority of the today existing human embryonic stem cell lines are derived using supporting cells from mice and nutrient solutions containing components originating from animals. Hence, an important goal for future stem cell-based treatments is the derivation of stem cells free from contamination from animals.

The ideal stem cell line derivation and culture comprises all defined conditions with synthetic or purified components. In this project, human embryos which are surplus to the requirements of the couple will be grown to the blastocyst stage in the IVF laboratories of the Assisted Conception Unit at Ninewells Hospital Dundee, Scotland. The embryos will then be transported to cellartis for stem cell line derivation.

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Project Title

Derivation of GMP human embryonic stem cells

Centre

Centre for Human Reproductive Science
The Assisted Conception Unit, Birmingham Women´s Health Care NHS Trust

Person Responsible

Dr Jackson Kirkman-Brown

Lay Summary

Our proposed project will utilise surplus embryos generated for assisted reproductive treatment. These embryos will be used to derive embryonic stem cell lines under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions enabling them to be used for treatment. Derived cell lines will be deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank for use by other researchers. In Birmingham we hope to use these lines to further characterise specific proteins which are crucial during fertilisation and early embryo development.

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Project Title

Genetic screening of the preimplantation embryo

Centre

Centre for Human Reproductive Science
The Assisted Conception Unit, Birmingham Women´s Health Care NHS Trust

Person Responsible

Dr Jackson Kirkman-Brown

Lay Summary

When embryos are produced by IVF, during the first few days after fertilisation when they are still just a few cells, one or two of these cells can be taken without affecting the health of a future child. The reason to do this is to use genetic screening to check for severe debilitating illnesses or things which would cause a miscarriage and the associated upset. In an ideal world these can be avoided as IVF creates a number of embryos and so we could only pick those without problems to put back.

Currently one problem with these diagnoses is that in the early embryo not all cells are the same and the one cell that you take and sample may not be representative - you could make a misdiagnosis. Through use of embryos that would otherwise be disposed of we aim to establish clear and safe techniques to make an accurate diagnosis in these early embryo stages.