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28th August 2021
09:00am BST

However, new research by RMIT University may now have found a way to better pinpoint the 'golden window' when a womb is ready for pregnancy after discovering a Teflon-like molecule, known as podocalyxin (PCX), that makes the surface of the womb slippery and prevents embryos from implanting.
According to the team of researchers, this could make a real difference in boosting IVF success rates. "We've been looking for something that helps embryos stick when the vital part of the puzzle turned out to be a slippery molecule that has the opposite effect," explains lead researchers Professor Guiying Nie. "It prevents them from sticking." The findings, published in the journals Fertility and Sterility and Human Reproduction, showed that levels of this sticky molecule on the wombs surface decrease at a certain point in the menstrual cycle - allowing the womb to become 'stickier'. The research found a significant difference in IVF success rates when embryos were transferred, depending on whether this molecule was present or absent. "Every embryo is precious for families struggling with infertility, so getting the timing right is critical," said Nie. "We hope with further development our discovery could help clinicians identify precisely when each patient has the greatest chance of achieving pregnancy, delivering fully personalised IVF treatment."Researchers at @RMIT have found a way to pinpoint the "golden window" for IVF embryo implantation that could boost IVF success rates. @ResearchRMIT. Read more: https://t.co/aS5QyFBEiO pic.twitter.com/oXn14RgEft
— ATN Universities (@ATNUnis) August 22, 2021
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