AI and In Vitro Gametogenesis Could Revolutionize Fertility Treatment: Study

When the first healthy baby conceived through in vitro fertilization — IVF, for short — was born in 1978, it marked a distinct shift in family planning options for couples dealing with infertility. While the birth rate in 1991 was just 8%, clinical and lab advancements brought that number up to 22% in 2021. 

Most societies hold higher birth rates as a positive sign — and as more and older individuals are turning to IVF to grow their families, there is more pressure than ever on researchers to find ways to increase its success rate. 

Despite this, advancements in fertility technology are slow, and not just because good science takes time. Experts in the field say that outdated laws make it unreasonably difficult to perform research. 

In the United Kingdom, there has been no update to legislation since 1990, and in the United States, a patchwork system of confusing state-by-state regulations vastly limits research options. 

In the 1980s and ’90s, IVF technology was new and heavily stigmatized. And while much of that stigma has now subsided, the legislation written during that time’s heavy restrictions still remain, and they stand in the way of quicker and more innovative research. 

The British Fertility Society (BFS) is campaigning to change things, but progress is slow. Treasurer for the BFS and Director of Embryology at Bridge Clinic London Marta Jansa-Perez, PhD, feels that updating this legislation is essential to move IVF forward. 

At present, the law is very restrictive on the use of embryos in research. The BFS is aiming to simplify time consuming and redundant consent forms, among other issues. They are also trying to make it easier for people to donate their embryos to research and streamline the process labs need to follow to acquire research licenses. 

In the U.S., a convoluted state-by-state system means that embryo research is only legal in five states and “vaguely” legal in another 13, and a 1996 amendment banned the research from receiving federal funding. 

And of the hundreds of thousands of unused frozen embryos in storage, just 2.8% are available for research.Experts say that the case for using these embryos is an overwhelmingly positive one, citing the opportunity for higher IVF success rates and more healthy babies. But until lawmakers can be convinced to amend outdated legislation, research will remain slow and challenging. 

Without easily available embryos to research, scientists often choose other avenues. A quick search-engine query shows a myriad of trials looking at everything from nutritional supplements to sound waves meant perk up “sluggish” sperm, but it is important to consider how much these factors can move the needle when it comes to IVF success rates — that is, to getting pregnant and having healthy babies. 

According to Jansa-Perez, it takes a long time to gather evidence, analyze it, and determine how much a certain technology or lifestyle change could actually make a difference. And sometimes, enthusiastic retailers frame promising findings as proven results.There’s lots of things coming to market with limited research, and they’re being sold to patients before we have enough evidence.This is a field where we can sell a lot of things to patients and they will buy them because they’re desperate to do anything to increase their chances. 

Routinely, clinical embryologists select embryos based on morphology and using their own experience. New technology using AI models might be able to reduce subjectivity, save time, and increase success rates 

Using AI to choose embryos might raise success rates, but it also raises ethical questions. According to some recent research, technology has moved faster than the ethical, social, and regulatory issues involved, and this might pose problems when it comes time to getting it approved for wider use. 

Another exciting area of research threatens to completely revolutionize the landscape of IVF — but it is also a minefield of ethical dilemmas. 

The very concept of in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) sounds like the space age. It aims to take somatic cells (“normal” cells) and turn them into gametes (reproductive cells). Then, it uses these artificial sperm and eggs to create an embryo. 

However, experts note that this technology is far from ready and comes with a slew of potential issues. There is a lot of regulation on research involving human embryology, and most initial studies will be forced to work with animal models.