A second baby was born through the application of the maternal spindle transfer technique in the context of the clinical research project that is being carried out by Embryotools and the Institute of Life in Greece. In the framework of this clinical research pilot trial, the effectiveness and safety of the maternal spindle transfer technique is being investigated as a means to treat infertility problems associated to cytoplasmic dysfunctions in oocytes – which manifest by a “massive” embryo development arrest in IVF cycles with conventional techniques – as well as to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases.

The infant was born at 07:00 am on November 11^th, 2019, to a Greek women with a long history of IVF failures with conventional techniques. Both the mother and the infant are well. The birth of the first baby through maternal spindle transfer in the context of this specific clinical research study had taken place last April 2019. The infant is now seven months old, is being follow-up, and is in an excellent condition. All results of this research project that is expected to be concluded within the next months will be made public after the acceptance of the publications in specialized peer-reviewed journals.

About the maternal spindle transfer Project

The maternal spindle transfer method involves the replacement of the entire cytoplasm of oocytes, fully preserving the nuclear genome of the woman who wants to reproduce. The proof of principle of the procedure has been extensively explored in animal models and pre-clinically validated with human oocytes donated for research.  Currently, the technique is being applied in a very restrict and carefully selected cohort of patients in the context of an ongoing research protocol that was approved and is being conducted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Greek Law 3305/2005. Based on current scientific data, the maternal spindle transfer method is still considered an experimental technique and is not an established infertility treatment nor a recognized method of medically assisted reproduction.

The collaboration between Embryotools and Microptic begins with the objective of performing sperm analysis in our laboratory and providing training on CASA systems (Computer Aided Semen Analysis).

We understand that andrology is a vitally important specialty in assisted reproduction units. More specifically, if we focus on the analysis of semen, applying an appropriate protocol it is possible to arrive at the diagnosis of male sterility and thus be able to offer treatments. On the other hand, sperm tests are always helpful before IVF-ICSI treatments.

Microptic, specialized in the analysis of semen for more than 20 years, is one of the pioneering companies in CASA systems with the SCA – Sperm Class Analyzer ®. In addition, this company already provides training and practical workshops of different levels to professionals and distributors of the sector.

Unlike manual analysis, a CASA system increases the competitiveness of laboratories thanks to the standardization of the analysis and the recording of results.

CASA SCA system, by Microptic

Thanks to this automatic measurement software for the analysis of sperm samples, the following parameters can be analyzed, following the WHO criteria:

Our R&D centre receive support from CDTI to study new strategies to prevent prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities

Embryotools is currently involved in several research projects that aim to develop new technologies for the treatment of infertility problems.

Among them we highlight the project financed by the European Reginal Development funds (ERDF) Ref. RD 15-1-0011 that aims to develop a new technique for meiotic spindle replacement in oocytes affected by mitochondrial or other cytoplasmic problems.

Project title: Desenvolupament d’una novedosa tècnica de TRA: transferència de fus matern (MST). RD 15-1-0011.

Maternal spindle transfer overcomes embryo developmental arrest caused by ooplasmic defects in mice

Fourth Baby Born in 14 Months Using the Maternal Spindle Transfer Method as Part of Pilot Trial Conducted by the Institute of Life and Embryotools Scientific Team

Founders

Nuno Costa-Borges, PhD

Scientific director

Dr. Nuno Costa-Borges is an embryologist that has been involved in both research and clinical practice for over 15 years. As a PhD fellow of the Portuguese national funding agency for science, Nuno spent several years developing strategies to improve the efficiency of animal cloning, having accomplished the first animals successfully cloned in Spain in 2009. After finishing his PhD at the University Autonomous of Barcelona, he joined the embryology team of IVI Barcelona, where he has worked as a clinical embryologist. Later on, he co-founded Embryotools, where he has been devoted on offering training and consulting services to the IVF community worldwide. Additionally, as scientific director of Embryotools, Nuno has also been committed to the development of new IVF techniques, such as, the flicking method for the biopsy of blastocysts or spindle transfer for mitochondrial replacement in oocytes and embryos. Nuno’s work has led to several peer-reviewed publications and he has been invited speaker in numerous international conferences and scientific meetings, as well as awarded with prestigious prizes and grants.

Gloria Calderón, PhD

Former President

Dr. Gloria Calderón is a clinical embryologist who has been part of the team that managed to obtain the first pregnancies by IVF in Spain. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of assisted reproduction, Dr. Calderón is an international reference with extensive knowledge in clinical embryology, quality control and design of IVF laboratories. She has been the main internal scientific advisor for the IVI group between 2000 and 2013 (> 25,000 cycles / year) and is currently a guest lecturer in Master's programs at 6 Universities in Spain. Throughout her career she has provided consulting services throughout the world, and is frequently invited as speaker to the most important conferences of the sector in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Middle East. She is the author of more than 200 publications and abstracts in international journals and conferences, including Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, ESHRE, ASRM, etc. and a member of the Human Reproduction Medicine Review Committee. In addition, Dr. Calderón is part of the panel of reviewers of reputed scientific journals.

General management

Laboratory staff

Enric Mestres, PhD

Embryologist

Laboratory director

Mònica Acacio, MSc

Embryologist

Head of Vet Center and Research coordinator

Alba Casals

Embryologist

Laboratory coordinator

Andrea Villamar

Embryologist

Co-Head of QC Center

Queralt Matia, MSc

Embryologist

Head of Products Center

Carolina Castelló, BSc

Embryologist

Head of the Training Center

Albert Martínez, MSc

Embryologist

Co-head of QC Center

Aina Franco, MSc

Embryologist

Lydia Romera, MSc

Embryologist

Pau Soler

Trainee

Sonia Gago, MSc

Embryologist

PhD Student

Carlota Gutiérrez

Veterinary

Administration

External scientific advisors

Dagan Wells, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Dagan Wells has been actively involved in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and the study of human gametes and embryos for over two decades, conducting his first PGD cases in 1992. He spent several years developing novel PGD tests at University College London, accomplishing the first comprehensive chromosome analysis of cells from human embryos in 1998, using a combination of whole genome amplification and comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH). In 1999 Dagan moved to the United States and joined Reprogenetics, one of the world’s largest providers of PGD services. In 2003 he initiated Reprogenetics’ highly successful single gene PGD program, testing embryos for numerous serious inherited conditions. Dagan later joined the faculty of Yale University Medical School, where he spent four years running a research laboratory, before returning to the UK in late 2007. His research group is now located in the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford. Dagan’s work has led to the publication of more than 120 peer-review publications and book chapters and has been recognized with the award of numerous prizes and grants. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and currently serves on the Editorial Boards of several international journals. Dagan also directs Reprogenetics-UK, an independent laboratory offering state-of-the-art PGD services to IVF clinics throughout the UK and internationally.

Klaus Rink, PhD

Scientific Advisor

German physicist, specialized in experimental physics, fluent in English and French. He is renowned for research and development of laser products for medical applications in the fields of in vitro fertilization, tissue welding and the treatment of kidney stones. In 2000 he co-founded OCTAX Microscience GmbH in Germany. OCTAX develops and manufactures IVF medical equipment, ranging from therapeutic to diagnostics appliances. OCTAX is reputed worldwide for producing the most reliable and accurate laser equipment, researched and developed by Dr. Rink since 1992. Scientific achievements: /1st birth after laser assisted hatching (1.48 μm) /1st birth after laser assisted blastomere biopsy and PGD /1st birth after laser assisted polar body biopsy /1st birth after laser assisted immobilization of spermatozoa /1st pregnancy after laser assisted zona drilling for ICSI /1st pregnancy after laser assisted removal of necrotic blastomeres from cryopreserved embryos

Gabriel Clérico

Veterinary

Xavier Santamaria, M.D., PhD

Scientific Medical Advisor

Board Ob/Gyn specialist in Reproductive Medicine. He obtained a post-graduate fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University (USA) and completed his Ph.D. at the Universitat Autònoma Barcelona (Spain). Dr. Santamaria war the Director of the International Department at the IVI between 2012 and 2016. In 2016, he joined Dr. Simon's Research group as a Senior Principal Investigator, where he has developed his research related to Asherman's Syndrome. His mail clinical and scientific interest is in understanding the regenerative capacity of the human endometrium and developing strategies to regenerate the endometrium to improve embryo implantation. His group was the first to complete a trial using human bone marrow stem cells to treat Asherman's syndrome and endometrial atrophy (PMDI:27005892) demonstrating this approach's feasibility in treating endometrial pathologies. As a result, CD133+ cells have been designed as the first Orphan Drug (ODD) by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the field of gynecological research. Dr. Santamaria has also participated as an inventor in 7 different patent applications, and is a co-founder and scientific director of 4 different start-up companies. He has published 27 papers in peer-reviewed journals (H-index of 15) and 12 book chapters. He has been an invited speaker at more than 70 international conferences and was awarded the prize for Best Oral Presentation for Young Investigators at the Society of Ginecological Investigation Meeting in 2009. He has directed one doctoral thesis.

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