Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has long been used in first-trimester prenatal testing to screen for conditions such as fetal spina bifida, chromosomal abnormalities, and more recently, to help predict spontaneous miscarriage through analysis of uterine bleeding samples.
Now, new research from Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine / Westlake IVF and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville shows that AFP can also be detected in the fluid released during the embryo freezing process, known as vitrification. This fluid, typically discarded, may contain valuable clues about an embryo’s health.
Because this fluid is already collected during standard IVF procedures and does not require altering the embryo, testing it for AFP could offer a safer, non-invasive, and more accessible way to improve fertility treatment outcomes.
Further studies are needed to determine if this method could help predict pregnancy outcomes and support more informed embryo selection for transfer.
“Our study is the first to show AFP detection at the embryonic blastocyst stage in vitro, specifically within blastocoel fluid-cultured medium (BFCM), which is fluid extruded by a blastocyst-stage embryo when it is being cryopreserved during vitrification.
BFCM has been of growing interest in research, and because it is routinely discarded in clinical IVF cases, it is readily available for study. If further research, which is already underway, confirms that AFP at the embryonic level can predict obstetric outcomes, then this information may be useful for clinical practice in embryo transfer,” said Dr. Shahryar Kavoussi.
Read the full study: The Expression of Alpha-Fetoprotein in Human Blastocoel Fluid-Conditioned Media In Vitro: A Proof of Concept Study
