2 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The need for non-invasive biomarkers of oocyte competency has become urgent as women increasingly delay attempts at childbearing. The aging process is complex and includes impaired mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, diminished metabolic activity, and activity of several cell-signaling systems. Cumulus cells form an intimate association with the oocyte in the follicle, and they can have a significant impact on oocyte meiotic and developmental competence. In the IVF lab, the clump of cumulus cells is typically cut away from the oocyte immediately after an oocyte retrieval procedure, and then the cumulus cells are discarded. Measuring the mitochondrial respiratory activity of cumulus cells may serve as a non-invasive biomarker for oocyte competency and a predictor of reproductive success in IVF patients in the future.
This study aims to assess the effect of age of the male partner and the reproductive ability of sperm prepared via sperm selection devices (Zymot) compared to routine embryologist selected sperm after density gradient centrifugation (DGC) preparation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF) of their infertility.