ARCS 365

Single-cell reference atlas of the human endometrium

Friday 31st January, 12:00 – 12:45

This talk will explore the complex and dynamic cellular composition of the human endometrium in health and endometriosis, as revealed by our study, which built a large-scale single-cell reference atlas of the endometrium (Nature Genetics, doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01873-w). Key findings will be covered, including discovery of new cell types, cell-cell signalling pathway coordination and identification of the most likely dysregulated cell types in endometriosis through integration of single-cell data with large-scale endometriosis genome-wide association study data. More broadly, the talk will describe what single-cell technologies are, how they can be used to study reproductive tissues in vivo and in vitro, and will discuss the implications of using these technologies and data generated to study endometrial physiology and disorders, and for guiding microphysiological in vitro systems development.

Artificial oocyte activation improves ICSI outcomes following unexplained fertilization abnormalities

Thursday 27th February, 16:00 – 16:45

This talk will explore the clinical challenge of oocyte activation deficiency for couples experiencing unexplained infertility. Unexpected low and total fertilisation failure following ART treatment are rare but devastating events for patients and care providers. With a lack of underlying explanation and limited treatment options it can be difficult to advise these patients on next steps.  Our investigation retrospectively analysed the provision of Artificial Oocyte Activation (AOA) with a calcium ionophore to overcome previous unexpected fertilisation abnormalities at the Assisted Conception Unit, Ninewells Hospital, since 2014.  (https://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(24)00516-9/fulltext). This study represents the largest cohort of patients from a UK, HFEA licensed centre so far and was performed prior to the removal of AOA as a treatment add-on by the HFEA. In this session we will explore the key findings of the investigation, most notably that AOA is an effective intervention for Oocyte Activation Deficiency. We will discuss when it is appropriate it offer patients AOA, and how the results of this study can help personalise the patient pathway and reduce failed ART cycles.

Rescue of late maturing oocytes in poor prognosis patients: delayed intracytoplasmic sperm injection (DICSI) results in more viable embryos

Tuesday 25th March, 16:00 – 16:45

This talk will delve into the application of delayed intracytoplasmic sperm injection (DICSI) in late-maturing oocytes, presenting findings from a comprehensive retrospective analysis of 2,243 oocytes across 311 ART cycles. The discussion will cover the methodology, including the criteria for DICSI application, and key outcomes such as fertilization, blastocyst formation, and live birth rates.

Key findings will be highlighted, including the maturation potential of GV and MI oocytes in vitro, the comparable euploidy rates and live birth outcomes of blastocysts derived from MI and MII oocytes, and the ability of DICSI to rescue unproductive cycles, with 8.7% of cases resulting in live births or ongoing pregnancies.

More broadly, the talk will discuss the clinical implications of DICSI as a tool to optimize ART success rates, its potential to increase the number of embryos available for testing in PGT-A cycles, and its role in advancing personalized approaches to fertility care.

Sperm separation and selection techniques to mitigate sperm DNA damage

Thursday 24th  April  12:00 – 12:45

Techniques used in the separation and selection of sperm can take advantage of one or more facets of sperm function, including motility, morphology, density, and maturity, to reduce the risk of using DNA-damaged sperm in treatment and, thereby, potentially optimising outcomes.
Whilst the focus has often been on the fertilising ability of sperm, it is increasingly evident that the paternal genome is relevant to post-fertilisation events such as embryonic genome activation and blastocyst development, and has a fundamental impact upon successful implantation, ongoing pregnancy and live birth. The clinical use of sperm separation and selection techniques will be examined with a particular focus on the mitigation of the impact of sperm DNA damage.

Rare voices in preimplantation genetic testing

Tuesday 20th  May  16:00 – 16:45

Nick’s talk will cover Genetic Alliance UK’s role in the HFEA’s regulation of preimplantation genetic testing over the past 15 years. He will describe their current process to generate evidence to help the HFEA’s decision-making process, and close by asking whether wider rare condition decision-making should learn from the threshold-based approach, whether their approach to screening is equitable, and discussing the HFEA’s duty to review the list.

#myHCPCstandards: Duty of candour

Tuesday 24th  June 12:00 – 12:45

Florence will explore the duty of candour requirements across the UK, some of the challenges in meeting these requirements and how to overcome these.