AI Is to Help Select Embryos for IVF in Russia
The new method could improve embryo selection accuracy and uncover hidden causes of long-term reproductive problems.
Russian researchers have used artificial intelligence to improve embryo diagnostics in in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Scientists at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed a new method for genetic analysis of embryos. The approach is based on a technology that helps determine the spatial organization of DNA and identify chromosomal rearrangements that are not detectable using standard preimplantation genetic testing methods.
The technique can also help more accurately diagnose the underlying causes of reproductive problems in couples. According to the researchers, in some individuals, segments of different chromosomes can swap places, affecting reproductive cells. As explained by the institute, this can lead to failed embryo implantation, miscarriages, or the birth of children with chromosomal abnormalities.
AI Steps In
The method was tested in several IVF clinics, with the results compared against standard testing approaches. In cases where researchers were unable to study a group of embryos without genetic abnormalities because those embryos had already been used for implantation, artificial intelligence provided a solution. The team developed an algorithm that analyzes data within a single sample by comparing different regions of the genome against one another.
