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Metabolomics: The ViaMetrics-E ™ Procedure for Assessing Embryo Viability

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Practical Manual of In Vitro Fertilization

Abstract

Metabolomics is a new and emerging technology that allows us to measure factors in embryo culture media. The complete array of small-molecule metabolites that are found within a biological system constitutes the metabolome and reflects its functional phenotype. Metabolomics is the systematic study of this dynamic inventory of metabolites, as small molecular biomarkers representing the functional phenotype in a biological system. Using various forms of spectral and analytical approaches, metabolomics attempts to determine metabolites associated with physiologic and pathologic states. Metabolic studies of embryos indicate that embryos that result in pregnancy are different in their metabolomic profile compared to embryos that do not lead to pregnancies. When performing an embryo assessment using these new technologies, two important factors must be kept in mind. First, whatever the embryo assessment technique, the inherent quality of the embryo is responsible for the score or assessment characteristics. Hence, a poor embryo is not improved by these technologies; it is only assessed as having lower reproductive potential. Second, the values obtained by a diagnostic platform are only important for an individual patient. Therefore, it is important to be able to pick the best embryo from an individual patient’s cohort; it is this assessment which can potentially improve a couple’s chance of achieving a pregnancy per cycle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    D. Sakkas PhD

  2. Molecular Biometrics, Inc., Norwood, MA, USA

    L. Botros MSc, M. Henson PhD, K. Judge PhD & P. Roos PhD

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  1. D. Sakkas PhD
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  2. L. Botros MSc
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  3. M. Henson PhD
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  4. K. Judge PhD
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  5. P. Roos PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Sakkas PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Scientific and Laboratory Director, Reproductive Biology Associates, Atlanta, 30342, Georgia, USA

    Zsolt Peter Nagy

  2. , Sr. Embryologist, Montreal Reproductive Centre, Montreal, H4A 3J3, Québec, Canada

    Alex C. Varghese

  3. Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic, Euclid Avenue 9500, Cleveland, 44195, Ohio, USA

    Ashok Agarwal

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Sakkas, D., Botros, L., Henson, M., Judge, K., Roos, P. (2012). Metabolomics: The ViaMetrics-E ™ Procedure for Assessing Embryo Viability. In: Nagy, Z., Varghese, A., Agarwal, A. (eds) Practical Manual of In Vitro Fertilization. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1780-5_44

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1780-5_44

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1779-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1780-5

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