基于透明质酸的方法或改善体外受精的成功率

2015年5月21日 讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --近日，来自英国利兹大学的科学家通过研究调查了，是否在润肤霜和护肤霜中发现的分子可以有效改善体外受精的成功率；目前研究人员正在进行临床试验，来调查这种在美容产品中存在的名为透明质酸的分子是否可以被重新设计用以维持皮肤的弹性，同时保持头发和关节含水，帮助精子仅仅吸附于卵细胞上。

这种透明质酸的方法仅依赖于成熟和具有生殖能力的精子，其会紧紧吸附于卵细胞上，研究者David Miller表示，我们开展研究的目的就是想去调查是否透明质酸可以更好地帮助精子吸附于卵细胞上。目前我们需要一个位置来为卵细胞选择质量较好的精子，因为体外受精的方法需要将精子直接注射到卵子中去，因此选择携带最少DNA损伤的精子或许就可以提高体外受精的成功率。

利用这种最新方法选择最佳的精子需要花费大约10分钟，而且不会引发精子出现任何损伤，随后研究者将精子加入到开槽的培养皿中，在每一个槽的末端都会有一个包含透明质酸“胶水”的暗槽，这样一来精子就会通过“游泳”的方式到达透明质酸中并且同其结合，但透明质酸却很容易被操作者所移除；研究者描述道，单一的精子就类似于一种微型的尼龙扣，精子会粘住，但其同时会被很轻易地移除。

平均来讲，四分之三的进行体外受精的夫妻最终都会以失败告终，因此研究者进行临床试验就是为了确定是否这种新型的选择性手段可以帮助改善体外受精的成功率。研究者表示，如果这种基于精子粘性的选择性方法可以通过降低携带DNA损伤的精子注射入卵细胞的风险，那么或许就可以有效改善体外受精的成功率。（生物谷Bioon.com）

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Investigating the benefits of 'sticky sperm' for IVF

Embryologists running a clinical trial at the University are investigating whether hyaluronic acid, normally found in beauty products which are designed to maintain elasticity in the skin and keep hair and joints hydrated, helps sperm stick to the human egg when it is released from the ovary.

The hyaluronic acid method relies on picking only mature and fertile sperm that stick to a specially coated plate for injection into the egg.

Dr David Miller, Reader in Molecular Andrology in the School of Medicine, is leading the trial for Leeds. He said: "We want to investigate whether hyaluronic acid helps better quality sperm stick to an egg.

"We need to be in a position to choose the best quality sperm for the egg because the IVF method we are using involves injecting a sperm directly into the egg, so it's advisable to choose the sperm with the least DNA damage."

Selecting the best sperm for this method takes about 10 minutes and does not cause any damage to the sperm. A slotted petri dish is used, into which sperm is added. At end of each slot there is a chamber containing the hyaluronic acid 'glue'.

The sperm swims towards the hyaluronic acid and binds to it, but it can be easily removed by the operator.

Dr Miller continued: "They way I describe the process is that a single sperm is similar to a kind of 'mini-velcro' -- the sperm can be stuck down but it can also be removed with ease."

The trial is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Efficiency and Mechanism Evaluation (NIHR EME) Programme.

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.

Experts at the University of Leeds, alongside colleagues from research laboratories at Sheffield University, Birmingham University and Queen's University in Belfast, will also be investigating if this new selection method based on sperm 'stickiness' works by reducing the risk of injecting a sperm carrying damaged DNA into the egg.