Found, gene that could prevent IVF from failing

PIONEERING UK scientists have identified a key gene that may help explain why so many IVF pregnancies fail.

Researchers ‘edited’ human embryos to see what happened when they removed the gene, which had been identified during tests on mice.

By extracting the section of DNA, they discovered its key role in preventing failed pregnancies. As a result, one of the main applications for the research could be to improve IVF success rates.

Most fertilised eggs fail to develop during IVF for reasons that are poorly understood.

It is hoped the study – using surplus embryos donated by women at an IVF clinic – will help the one in seven couples who have difficulty having a baby. But critics fear that gene-

‘Crucial for human development’

editing human embryos could be used to create designer babies.

Dr Kathy Niakan, who led the research team at the Francis Crick Institute in London and invented the editing technique, said: ‘Our research is the first time that genome-editing has been used to understand the role of a gene in early embryonic development.

‘This knowledge can be used to improve IVF treatment and improve our understanding of how some pregnancies fail.’

Co-author Dr Norah Fogarty said: ‘We were surprised to see just how crucial this gene is for human embryo development.’

Dr Rob Buckle of the Medical Research Council, which helped to fund the study, said: ‘While the science is at an early stage, these findings pave the way for uncovering the function of genes critical to human development.’