* based on the studies conducted by the team of the Infertility Clinic headed by Professor Krzysztof Łukaszuk; the article will appear in the Fertility & Sterility journal. Read more scientific articles on PGS-NGS 360 diagnostics at www.invictagenetics.pl.

Infertility and DNA

In a significant percentage of cases infertility can have a genetic basis. DNA abnormalities hinder conception and implantation of the fertilised oocyte in the uterus; they can cause the loss of pregnancy in its later phase or serious defects in the newborn.

The increased risk of occurrence of genetic disorders in germs cells, embryos or foetus is observed in particular in:

  • women over 35
  • couples experiencing habitual abortions (at least 3 losses of pregnancy in the same relationship)
  • couples with the family history of genetic disorders or children with congenital defects
  • patients receiving treatment for infertility, with multiple failures of in vitro fertilization despite the administration of properly developed embryos.

The risk of occurrence of chromosome aneuploidies increases with the woman’s age and is independent of the conception method. It is considered to be one of the major causes of failures in attempts to have children among women aged over 35.

Oocyte aneuploidies and the woman’s age

Percentage of aneuploidy cells* Percentage of miscarriages (%)** Percentage of clinical pregnancies***

* Practical Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Yury Verlinsky, PhD; Anver Kuliev, MD, PhD; Reproductive Genetics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA; ** Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/art/ART2009/sect2_fig16-26.htm#f17; *** Klinika Leczenia Niepłodności INVICTA (2012/2013)

Healthy baby through science

The innovative PGS-NGS 360°™ testing allows reducing the risk of defects and diseases in children thus giving many couples a chance for happy parenthood. The method is applied in in vitro fertilisation procedure. The patients who are concerned about the health of their future children or have indications for the procedure may decide to have the genetic testing of embryos performed.

The PGS diagnosis conducted with the application of the state-of-the-art next-generation DNA sequencing technology (NGS) enables the most detailed analysis of all 24 chromosomes (22 pairs of somatic chromosomes and 2 sex chromosomes: X and Y). based on the obtained knowledge it is possible to minimise the risk of occurrence of serious (and often lethal) genetic defects in foetus, including Down, Patau, Klinefelter, Edwards or Turner syndrome. Only the embryos with the confirmed absence of chromosomal abnormalities are transferred to the woman’s uterus.

Benefits of PGS-NGS

Performing the PGS NGS diagnosis within the framework of in vitro procedure means primarily the mental comfort for Patients who are afraid of giving birth to a sick child. The recent scientific reports prove that the test:

  • increases the chances of success of in vitro fertilisation programme (pregnancy) even to 84%
  • reduces the percentage of spontaneous abortions
  • increases the percentage of births following in vitro fertilisation.

The NGS technology is extremely sensitive and is now the reference method (model) for all other applied solutions.

PGS and PGD NGS in INVICTA Clinics

The INVICTA team of experts have been implementing the innovative methods of preimplantation diagnosis since 2005. We are the precursor of this type of diagnostics in Poland. In the past decade we completed several proprietary projects targeting the individual needs of our Patients. Many times it was in the INVICTA Clinic that they were implemented for the first time in the world or in Europe.

Moreover, the R&D Division conduct numerous scientific analyses and projects the results of which are published in the Polish and international medical journals.

INVICTA – The World’s Top One Clinic as regards the number of the performed PGS NGS tests

In the world ranking of clinics performing the PGS NGS, we hold the first place as regards the number of performed tests.