Clinical trials

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a Virtual Reality (VR)-based mindfulness and meditation intervention in reducing anxiety among patients undergoing fertility-related surgical procedures. Anxiety is a common challenge in fertility treatments, often leading to emotional distress and increased pain perception. By incorporating a non-invasive VR intervention, the investigators seek to improve patient experience, minimize preoperative anxiety, and potentially reduce postoperative discomfort and recovery times. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) will compare standard care with a VR intervention in a clinical setting, measuring key outcomes such as anxiety levels, pain perception, recovery duration, and overall patient satisfaction. The findings may contribute to more patient centered fertility care, offering an innovative, scalable, and cost-effective approach to anxiety management in reproductive medicine.

The investigators aim is to investigate the brain's dynamic complexity across three phases of an ovarian stimulation cycle (basal, pre-OPU, mid-luteal), to observe the impact of externally administered hormones, and compare it with the corresponding phases of a natural menstrual cycle (early follicular, pre-ovulatory, mid-luteal) in the same woman. Brain activity patterns will be examined using resting-state fMRI in a sample of young, healthy, naturally cycling women.

Women with a severely diminished ovarian reserve and monofollicular growth are at a higher risk of premature ovulation as well as poor quality oocytes. Our group showed previously that women with severely diminished ovarian reserve benefit from receiving the final oocyte maturation at smaller follicle sizes in terms of reducing the risk of premature ovulation and finding mature oocytes even out of small size follicles. Adding the measurement of the follicular volume at the time of final oocyte maturation might provide more information on the proper timing of trigger administration compared to the follicular size alone, hormonal profile as well as previous stimulation attempts. Setting a cutoff value of follicular volume for trigger might help to avoid premature ovulation and possibly increase the chances of ending up with a euploid embryo.

This study examines if monitoring serum Follicle Stimulation Hormone (FSH) levels can predict oocyte yield and progesterone levels, considering factors like age, baseline FSH, Antral Mullerian Hormone (AMH), antral follicle count, body weight, kidney function, and urinary FSH. The aim is to find a minimum FSH level that ensures optimal ovarian response and enables tailored FSH dosages for better outcomes.

It has been proposed that enriching transfer media with hyaluronan (EmbryoGlue medium) improves pregnancy outcomes compared with media containing lower concentrations of this molecule. However, none of previous studies included preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) embryos. In order to investigate the impact of this hyaluronan-enriched on pregnancy outcomes, it is essential to evaluate its efficacy on euploid-only embryo transfers. The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether a short period of exposure of euploid blastocysts to EmbryoGlue prior to and during transfer positively impact on pregnancy outcomes of frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles.

This study aims to explore the potential correlation between decreased ovarian reserve and previous history of early miscarriage.

To describe the peripheral serum levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 (Interleukin-4), IL-10 (Interleukin-10), TGF-ß1 (Transforming Growth Factor beta1), the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17 (Interleukin-17), IFγ (Interferon Gamma) and the immune mediator PIBF (Progesterone-Induced Blocking Factor) along a single frozen euploid blastocyst transfer in a natural cycle (NC) or Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness and safety of assisted oocyte activation (AOA) using Ca²⁺ ionophores in cases of total fertilization failure (TFF) due to oocyte activation deficiency (OAD). The study will be conducted in two phases: Phase I will compare the fertilization rates of oocytes exposed to two types of Ca²⁺ ionophore treatments- Ionomycin solution and commercially available CultActive-against a control group without calcium ionophore treatment. Phase II will assess whether an additional injection of CaCl2, prior to exposure to the chosen ionophore from Phase I, further improves fertilization outcomes. The goal is to identify the optimal AOA protocol for improving fertilization rates and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this approach in relation to ploidy, with a focus on ensuring normal pre-implantation embryo development.

IVF incubators are essential for maintaining the micro-environment required for embryo development. Incubator technology has progressed from early humidified box systems to benchtop and now time-lapse platforms, driving the development of dry incubator chambers. Both humidified and dry systems have specific pros and cons. Evidence to date suggests that humidified chambers may support better blastocyst development in certain "no-refresh" continuous culture conditions, but current data are limited and study designs remain weak. This study aims to compare sibling oocytes cultured in dry versus humidified chambers within a GERI time-lapse incubator under continuous culture conditions, assessing effects on viability and developmental outcomes. Findings may inform optimal incubation strategies to improve IVF success rates while supporting uninterrupted workflows and potentially improving cost-benefit efficiency in the IVF laboratory.

Glucocorticoids and especially cortisol exhibit a pronounced diurnal variation. Levels peak around 8 am and may decrease around two to three times during the day reaching a nadir during the evening and early in the night. Ovulation has been described as a controlled inflammatory event. Following release of the oocyte, termination of the inflammatory reaction needs to take place in order for the follicle and the developing corpus luteum to avoid further damage. It has been suggested, that locally enhanced cortisol availability may play a role in limiting tissue damage and by acting as anti-inflammatory agents mediating repair and remodeling. The aim of the present study is evaluate the concentration of cortisol and cortisone in sets of serum and follicular fluid samples collected simultaneous and at different times of the day (8.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m.) and compare the levels with the time of the day at which they are collected.

There are several approaches to the timing of antagonist administration in IVF/ICSI cycles. The primary goal is indeed to prevent premature ovulation, which could jeopardize the success of the cycle There is an emerging concept that suggests that the progesterone produced by the corpus luteum (formed after ovulation) might be sufficient to prevent further ovulation, obviating the need for antagonist or exogenous progesterone administration. This hypothesis relies on the natural regulatory mechanisms of the menstrual cycle to maintain a progesterone-dominated environment post-ovulation. We hypothesized that this approach would minimize treatment costs /burden without having an impact on the outcome.

To investigate the levels of Relaxin in different types of endometrial preparation for a frozen embryo transfer cycle. Up to now it is unclear, whether ovulation with a functional corpus luteum (CL) will be present in a natural proliferative phase (NPP) endometrial preparation approach.

In assisted reproductive technology (ART), sperm preparation aims to select the most viable sperm for ICSI. Unlike conventional methods like density gradients or sperm washing, microfluidic techniques mimic natural selection in the female reproductive tract by using laminar flow without centrifugation, reducing the risk of DNA damage. This method isolates highly motile sperm while filtering out debris and immotile cells. Studies show that microfluidics improve embryo quality, increase pregnancy rates, and may lead to higher euploidy rates. Additional benefits include improved safety, scalability, and shorter preparation times.

To investigate, whether on the day of egg retrieval, after ovarian stimulation for ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), there is a correlation between the intrafollicular AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone) levels and the ploidy status of the blastocyst.

Gonal-F® (follitropin alfa) is a recombinant FSH without LH activity, while Menopur® contains both LH and hCG. The MEGASET trial compared Menopur® and Gonal-F® in GnRH antagonist cycles with SET, showing similar efficacy. A subsequent study (MEGASET-HR) in high responders found ongoing pregnancy rates of 35.5% for Menopur® and 30.7% for Gonal-F®, with a lower early pregnancy loss for Menopur® (14.5% vs 25.5%). Telomere length (TL) in oocyte cumulus cells (CC) correlates with oocyte quality and embryo outcomes. This study aims to assess whether stimulation type (hMG vs. Gonal-F) affects TL in CC and subsequent blastocyst development. A randomized, open-label, cross-over study in normo-responders will analyze telomere length, embryo quality, and hormonal markers.

One of the most sensible factors in IVF culture conditions is the susceptibility of gametes and embryos to an induced increase in reactive oxidative species (ROS) caused by the artificial environment. This study aims to evaluate the impact of using antioxidant-supplemented media during culture to evaluate embryo ploidy rates in a prospective randomized trial using sibling oocytes.

Premature ovarian failure (POI) is a loss of normal function before age 40, leading to infertility and hypoestrogenism. About 1% of women younger than 40 years old and 0.1% before 30 are affected. Most patients already had impaired or complete loss of fecundity when diagnosed. Hence, the treatment of POI is particularly tough. Currently, no optimal regimen exists to ameliorate ovarian function.

To evaluate whether single euploid embryo transfer in NC without routinely administered LPS is non-inferior to NC with routinely administered LPS.

As embryo ploidy is a crucial factor not only for implantation but also for maintenance of a pregnancy, the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the CS / isthmocele on the ongoing pregnancy rates and the implantation site in single euploid frozen embryo transfer, independent of the endometrial preparation approach.