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「胚胎膠」 有用嗎？

「胚胎膠」 有用嗎？

「胚胎膠」….聽上去, 這個名字非常神奇。
首先讓我們了解胚胎着床的過程。其實是牽涉幾個步驟的：包括胚胎孵化、黏在子宮內膜上、胚胎細胞生長在子宮內膜。 在這個過程當中，如果其中一個步驟不成功，就會導致胚胎着床失敗。其中一個未能着床原因是胚胎不能做出黏着子宮內膜的黏液而使胚胎不能黏在子宮內膜上。
以往胚胎培養溶液，都用了很多蛋白質添加，希望用以增加這種黏液，其中一種廣泛使用的是Albumin.
Hyaluronan (HA)是一種醣蛋白，在正常的女性生殖系統內，例如輸卵管、卵巢、子宮腔黏液內都有的，功用是幫助精子、卵子受精，及胚胎着床。胚胎膠模擬生殖器官的分泌，含有很高量濃度的HA, 以及低量的albumin。在胚移植日，胚胎在這胚胎膠培養後，才移植到子宮腔內，希望這個黏力，幫助胚胎黏在子宮內膜上。
簡單的概念，很好的名字!
雖然這個名字叫」胚胎膠」，但它並不是膠水，不能主動將胚胎黏在子宮內膜上。它只是很高劑量的醣蛋白，希望營造一個有利的環境，讓胚胎黏著子宮內膜。最終胚胎是否着床，及在子宮裏繼續成長，還是得靠胚胎的努力!
一些用了胚胎膠而成功懷孕的案例實在令人鼓舞。反過來說，」胚胎膠」對胚胎的着床，以及試管嬰兒成功率沒有負面影響。 不妨一試!

 

Does embryo glue really work?

It sounded too good to be true. 

Implantation is a multi-stage process which includes zona pellucida hatching, apposition and adhesion of blastocyst followed by an invasion of trophoblast into the uterine endometrium.  One of the reasons for unsuccessful implantation being failure to develop a sticky matrix between blastocyst and endometrium. Various modifications have been made in embryo transfer  medium to improve implantation and pregnancy rates. Protein supplementation has been widely used in embryo transfer medium, most common of which is albumin.

Hyaluronan (HA) occurs naturally in your uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. It makes these organs stickier, aiding fertilization and implantation. Embryo glue mimics those uterine secretions. Embryo glue is a medium, which contains high concentration of hyaluronan and low concentration of recombinant human albumin.  On your embryo transfer day, your embryos are dipped into the ‘glue’. Then they’re placed in your uterus. The adhesive effect of the medium may help your embryos stick to your endometrium.

Simple idea. Good name.

Despite its name, embryo glue isn’t really a glue at all. It’s a specially developed solution that contains, high levels of a substance called hyaluronan. We would rather call that implantation-friendly.  Whether or not the embryo REALLY implants, love to stay in the uterus, still depends on the embryo.

The success stories about embryo glue are encouraging. As we know, there is no adverse effect on IVF results with embryo glue.  Not bad to have a try!