Could egg defect breakthrough help stop the ‘horrible IVF rollercoaster’?

Researchers at Ovo Labs in Germany, working with the Max Planck Institute, have made a potential breakthrough in addressing age-related egg defects, a major factor in female infertility, particularly for women over 35 undergoing IVF. The scientists discovered that aging eggs have reduced levels of the protein Shugoshin 1, which is crucial for maintaining chromosome structure. This deficiency leads to chromosome separation issues during fertilization, increasing the risk of embryo abnormalities. The research, presented at Fertility 2026 in Edinburgh, suggests that reversing this protein deficiency could significantly improve egg quality and IVF success rates for older women. This development could offer a much-needed solution to improve outcomes, as current IVF methods do not directly address egg quality decline.

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories