Small Non-Coding RNAs as New Biomarkers to Evaluate the Quality of the Embryo in the IVF Process

Abstract

The increased interest in assisted reproduction through in vitro fertilization (IVF) leads to an urgent need to identify biomarkers that reliably highly predict the success of pregnancy. Despite advances in diagnostics, treatment, and IVF approaches, the 30% success rate of IVF seems insurmountable. Idiopathic infertility does not have any explanation for IVF failure especially when a patient is treated with a healthy competitive embryo capable of implantation and development. Since appropriate intercellular communication is essential after embryo implantation, the emergence of the investigation of embryonic secretome including short non-coding RNA (sncRNA) molecules is crucial. That’s why biomarker identification, sncRNAs secreted during the IVF process into the blastocyst’s cultivation medium, by the implementation of artificial intelligence opens the door to a better understanding of the bidirectional communication between embryonic cells and the endometrium and so the success of the IVF. This study presents a set of promising new sncRNAs which are revealed to predictively distinguish a high-quality embryo, suitable for an embryo transfer in the IVF process, from a low-quality embryo with 86% accuracy. The identified exact combination of miRNAs/piRNAs as a non-invasively obtained biomarker for quality embryo determination, increasing the likelihood of implantation and the success of pregnancy after an embryo transfer.

The Importance of Natural Antioxidants in Female Reproduction

“…The NF-κB dimers enter the nucleus and as transcription factor downstream pro-inflammatory genes (TNFα, MIF, MMPs), cytokines (IL1/6/8), cell migration, and invasion genes (VCAM1, ICAM1, HCAM), as well as proliferation genes (WIAP, Bcl-2, Bcl-Xl) [ 18 ]. The activity of NF-κB is elevated by estrogen binding to its receptors activating several pro-inflammatory pathways such as CXL12/CXCR4, PI3K/Akt, or MAPK/ERK [ 11 , 14 ]. The overproduction of ROS is an important inducer of chronic NF-κB-mediated inflammatory responses [ 20 ] which can trigger cells into pathologies.…”

“…Most antioxidants, in addition to their ability to scavenge radicals, activate Nrf2 and inhibit NF-κB pathways [ 11 , 26 ]. There is evidence that some antioxidants which naturally occurring in diet may have benefits for the female reproductive system.…”

“…Common infertility treatment methods include the surgical removal of defective tissue and hormonal supplementation [ 9 ] which are invasive methods used to “adjust” the receptive endometrium of the mother to allow the successful implantation of a competent embryo at the optimal stage of development as a key aspect of assisted reproduction technology (ART) [ 10 ]. The success rate of a single in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle is circa 30% [ 11 ] and this figure has not improved over the past decade [ 12 ]. One of the main tools for improving the female fertility rate is to decrease/normalize OS conditions to the physiologically desirable level and create a reproductive-friendly microenvironment via the right lifestyle and supplementation of antioxidants.…”