Now, womb lining test to predict IVF treatment success

Washington D.C.: Newly discovered "genetic fingerprint" is a big breakthrough that can help doctors predict the chances of success of IVF treatment.

Fertility experts in Southampton and the Netherlands have identified a specific genetic pattern in the womb that could predict whether or not IVF treatment is likely to be successful.

Study co-lead Nick Macklon said that the discovery would help clinicians understand why IVF fails repeatedly in some women, adding it could also lead to the development of a new test to help patients understand how likely they are to achieve a pregnancy before they embark on the treatment process and to guide others on whether or not they should continue even after a number of unsuccessful cycles.

The team studied biopsies from the lining of the womb from 43 women with recurrent implantation failure and 72 women who gave birth after fertility treatment.

Macklon said they found an "abnormal gene expression" which "is always associated with failure," but it was not present in the successful pregnancies.

Macklon noted: "While we believe this finding to be a very significant development in international fertility research, the next stage is to trial it as a clinical test to study its effectiveness on a wider scale."

The study is published online in the journal Scientific Reports.