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Review
. 2020 Aug;98(2):107-115.
doi: 10.1111/cge.13732. Epub 2020 Apr 6.

PGT-A preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies and embryo selection in routine ART cycles: Time to step back?

Romualdo Sciorio  1 , Maurizio Dattilo  2
Affiliations
Review

PGT-A preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies and embryo selection in routine ART cycles: Time to step back?

Romualdo Sciorio et al. Clin Genet. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Embryo aneuploidies may be responsible for implantation failures, miscarriages and affects IVF outcomes. A variety of technologies have been implemented to individuate euploid embryos in IVF treatments, which is named preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A). According to this strategy, a better embryo selection should increase IVF results. In reality, several issues remain unaddressed including the sampling strategy, involving the test outcomes, and the frequent occurrence of embryo mosaicism, affecting the criteria for selection of supposed viable embryos and possibly posing an ethical dilemma. Safety issues are in place, including perinatal and postnatal consequences of embryo sampling and the epigenetic weaknesses from a prolonged in vitro culture, necessary for trophectoderm biopsy. On the other side, chromosome number mistakes are progressively recognized as physiologic events in the early pre-implantation embryo with many corrective mechanisms in place and their destiny in the post-implantation development is unclear. Accordingly, the increasing precision of the diagnostic tools should be used to investigate the effect of such interventions within rigorous research programs in the sake of improved clinical outcomes. Meantime the diagnosis of embryo aneuploidies in IVF cycles should be considered as a research tool and systematic implementation in clinical practice may appear unjustified.

Keywords: chromosome abnormality; embryo biopsy at cleavage stage, trophectoderm biopsy; mosaicism; preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies.

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References

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