Egg defect breakthrough may ease the IVF rollercoaster.

Researchers reported that adding the protein Shugoshin 1 to older human eggs reduced a common chromosome-separation defect in laboratory tests, and the team says the method will need years of safety testing and clinical trials before it could be used in treatment.

Researchers presented laboratory results at a British fertility conference showing that supplementing older human eggs with the protein Shugoshin 1 reduced a common chromosome-separation defect. Egg quality falls with age and is a major factor in lower IVF success rates for women over about 35. The work was done in research settings and is not yet part of clinical care. The team and outside experts say further safety testing and controlled clinical trials are required and will take time. Key findings: - Laboratory tests reported that eggs given additional Shugoshin 1 were roughly half as likely to show the chromosome defect linked to wrong chromosome numbers in embryos. - The results were presented at the British Fertility conference in Edinburgh by researchers involved with the Max Planck lab and Ovo Labs. - The technique remains experimental and has not been shown to improve IVF birth rates in clinical trials. - Researchers and independent experts said safety assessments and human clinical trials are needed, and no timetable was offered. Summary: If confirmed as safe and effective, the approach could address an important cause of age-related egg decline and so affect the number of embryos with chromosome errors. Undetermined at this time how long approval and clinical testing will take.