The new EmbryoScreen, a non-invasive embryo screening method, helps assess the quality of embryos and select the best ones before their transfer to the uterus. The RepromedaLab genetic laboratory is the first and only workplace in the Czech Republic to perform this method.
Increases the chance of pregnancy after the first transfer
“We recommend non-invasive chromosome screening (sometimes also referred to as NICS or niPGT) to couples who do not have a medical indication for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and who want to increase their chances of getting pregnant during the first transfer,” says the clinic’s director, MD Kateřina Veselá, Ph.D.
EmbryoScreen, performed during IVF treatment, allows to sort embryos according to their quality and especially according the risk of aneuploidy. The embryo with the most significant potential is then selected for transfer into the uterus, i.e., the one that has the greatest chance of nesting and is most likely to lead to the birth of a healthy offspring.
As with conventional PGT-A, the main goal of EmbryoScreen is to deliver a healthy baby in the shortest possible time. “By sorting the embryos and selecting the most promising ones, we help to shorten the time for treatment and thus reduce the psychological burden on the couple and the likelihood of spontaneous abortions or other complications in pregnancy,” explains Kateřina Veselá.
The non-invasive method assesses the quality of embryos
As the name suggests, the method is non-invasive, so it is not necessary to biopsy the embryo, as is the case with PGT. Instead, only the DNA spontaneously released into the culture medium when the embryos are cultured is analyzed in the laboratory. The embryos are then sort-scaled based on the level of risk of a chromosomal defect and the reliability of this finding. Thus, the embryo with the highest probability of attachment can be transferred in the first transfer.
Note: EmrbyoScreen is not a substitute for performing invasive preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), so in a couple where PGT is indicated, EmbryoScreen is not appropriate.
