In vitro fertilization and andrology laboratories in 2030

The in vitro fertilization and andrology laboratories are at the center of assisted reproductive technologies and the place where technicians and embryologists manipulate gametes and preimplantation-stage embryos with the goal of achieving the best embryo for transfer. Through the years, these laboratories have seen developments in technique, technology, and testing. The goal of this Views and Interviews series is to bring together the thought leaders in the field and envision what the laboratories will look like in the next 10 years.

Precision medicine in human reproduction. Special Issue

In vitro fertilization and andrology laboratory in 2030: expert visions.

The aim of this article is to gather 9 thought leaders and their team members to present their ideas about the future of in vitro fertilization and the andrology laboratory. Although we have seen much progress and innovation in the laboratory over the years, there is still much to come, and this article looks at what these leaders think will be important in the future development of technology and processes in the laboratory.

Biomarkers in reproductive medicine: the quest for new answers.

Personalized medicine in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is still in its infancy. Precision medicine, based on objective molecular tools added, to clinical medicine is well-accepted and developed in oncology and other potent medical disciplines. The impact of personalized medicine in cancer is broad, from screening to diagnosis, with the stratification of patients into cancer subgroup categories, facilitating individualized therapies that impact treatment effectiveness and disease recurrence (Diamandis et al., 2010; Hamburg and Collins, 2010). In reproductive medicine many ‘unknown black boxes’ still exist. These will only be unraveled with the timely application of novel technolog…

Soluble ligands and their receptors in human embryo development and implantation.

Extensive evidence suggests that soluble ligands and their receptors mediate human preimplantation embryo development and implantation. Progress in this complex area has been ongoing since the 1980s, with an ever-increasing list of candidates. This article specifically reviews evidence of soluble ligands and their receptors in the human preimplantation stage embryo and female reproductive tract. The focus will be on candidates produced by the human preimplantation embryo and those eliciting developmental responses in vitro, as well as endometrial factors related to implantation and receptivity. Pathways to clinical translation, including innovative diagnostics and other technologies, are al…