Ingredient found in moisturisers could help improve IVF rates

21.05.2015

Scientists believe that a molecule found in common beauty products could help improve the success of IVF. A team of researchers at the University of Leeds are embarking on a new project to examine the difference hyaluronic acid makes to the fertility treatment.

Hyaluronic acid is typically found in moisturisers and other products, which are designed to maintain the elasticity of the skin. It is also used to keep hair and joints hydrated.

Embryologists led by Dr David Miller at the university's School of Medicine, believe the substance may also help sperm stick to the human once it is released from the ovary. Dr Miller, said: 'We want to investigate whether hyaluronic acid helps better quality sperm stick to an egg.

He said the hyaluronic acid method relies on picking only mature and fertile sperm, which stick to a plate coated in the molecule, before injecting it into the egg.

The new method could help improve a type of IVF known as intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Where conventional IVF involves fertilization in a petri dish after many sperm have been placed next to eggs, ICSI involves an embryologist selecting the best-quality sperm and injecting a single sperm into each egg.

The process enables fertilization to take place even where there are few sperm available, when a man has a low sperm count, for example. Selecting the best sperm for the new hyaluronic acid method takes about 10 minutes and does not cause any damage to the sperm.

The researchers note: 'While offering universal benefits to the fertility field overall, this approach would offer particular promise for older couples, notably where the female is 37 or older.'

They say, that it’s because as a woman ages her oocytes - the female germ cell for reproduction - becomes less effective at repairing DNA damage in their partner's sperm.

On average, three out of four IVF treatment cycles for couples currently end in failure and the trial seeks to determine whether this selection method can help improve matters.

Based on: dailymail.co.uk