Development trend of IVF technology
Since the birth of the world's first IVF in 1978, IVF technology has made tremendous breakthroughs and progress in the medical field. Nowadays, with the continuous development of science and technology, IVF technology is also constantly innovating and improving. The following will introduce the development trend of IVF technology from four aspects: selection of appropriate methods, gene editing, single nucleotide polymorphism detection and embryo culture.
Select the appropriate method
With the development of IVF technology, more and more methods and technologies have emerged for patients to choose from. Choosing the appropriate method is crucial to the success rate of IVF and the patient experience. First, patients can choose the traditional in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET) technology, which has achieved many successful cases. Secondly, a new technology, single blastocyst transfer, has also emerged in clinical practice, which is simpler and faster than the traditional technology and reduces the risk of multiple pregnancy. When choosing an appropriate IVF method, patients should also consider the equipment and technical level of the hospital.
In view of the actual situation and needs of different couples, doctors will choose the most appropriate method according to the patient's age, birth history, physical examination results and other factors. Therefore, the selection of appropriate methods requires comprehensive consideration of patients' personal conditions and doctors' professional advice.
Gene editing
Gene editing technology is another breakthrough and development direction of IVF technology. Through CRISPR-Cas9 and other technologies, scientists can edit the gene of the fertilized egg to remove the genetic disease gene. For example, for couples carrying genetic disease genes, gene repair or modification can be carried out at the fertilized egg stage through gene editing technology to avoid the transmission of genetic diseases to their children. In addition, gene editing can also perform gender screening on fertilized eggs to meet the reproductive needs of some couples.
However, gene editing technology is still in the research stage, and there are still many ethical and legal problems. When using gene editing technology, it is necessary to strictly follow ethical norms to ensure the legal and safe use of technology.
Single nucleotide polymorphism detection
The development of IVF technology also involves the research and application of embryonic genetics. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection can help identify some genetic disease genes and susceptible genes carried by embryos. This is of great significance for couples with high risk of genetic diseases. Embryos without genetic disease genes can be selected for transplantation to improve the success rate and health of IVF.
At present, many hospitals already have the ability to detect SNP and incorporate it into the routine IVF process. But, SNP detection can only detect certain genetic disease genes, and cannot cover all genetic disease risks. Therefore, doctors and patients need to fully communicate and understand when determining the scope of application and using SNP testing.
Embryo culture
The success rate of IVF is closely related to the conditions of embryo culture. With the continuous improvement and innovation of embryo culture technology, the success rate of IVF shows a trend of continuous growth. Modern embryo culture technology can provide a more stable and suitable growth environment to improve the implantation rate and development quality of fertilized eggs.
In recent years, many hospitals have introduced a time lapse incubator to monitor and record the development of embryos. The system can observe the process of embryo development in real time and help doctors select the most promising embryos. In addition, some new embryo culture media are being developed to provide a more ideal environment for embryo growth.
Summary
To sum up, with the progress of science and technology and the development of medical technology, IVF technology is moving towards a more accurate, efficient and safe direction. Selecting appropriate methods, gene editing, single nucleotide polymorphism detection and embryo culture are important directions for the development of IVF technology. However, before the promotion and application of new technologies and methods, full research and verification are needed to apply them in clinical practice carefully.
