Scientists seek breakthroughs to improve IVF success rates

More than four decades after the birth of the world's first "test-tube baby," scientists are still searching for ways to make in vitro fertilisation (IVF) more reliable, as many couples continue to face uncertain outcomes despite advances in fertility treatment.

According to a report by the BBC, researchers across the world are exploring new technologies and scientific methods aimed at increasing the chances of successful births through IVF.

Since the birth of Louise Brown on 25 July 1978, more than 10 million babies have been born globally using the technique. IVF is now responsible for about 2% of all births in the United States each year, and success rates have gradually improved over the decades.

However, the treatment remains far from guaranteed. In the UK, the live birth rate per embryo transfer cycle for women around the age of 35 stands at roughly 30%, while in the US it is about 39%. Overall, fewer than half of IVF cycles lead to a successful birth.

For couples undergoing the treatment, the process can be physically, emotionally and financially demanding. Patients often go through multiple cycles involving hormone injections, medical procedures and long periods of uncertainty.

Researchers have been studying several innovations that could potentially improve success rates. One such technology involves time-lapse imaging, in which developing embryos are photographed every few minutes by a specialised device, allowing embryologists to closely monitor growth.

Clinics sometimes present this as a way to improve outcomes, but recent evidence suggests otherwise. A large study published in The Lancet in July 2024 found that using time-lapse imaging made no significant difference to live birth rates.

"There was no significant difference in the live birth rate," said Priya Bhide, who co-authored the research.

Despite the lack of evidence, many clinics still offer the technology as an optional add-on, sometimes charging hundreds of pounds or dollars per cycle.

"People got very excited with this new technology and just started to use it without actually having good evidence," Bhide said.

Other scientists are focusing on improving how eggs are collected during IVF procedures. A team involving researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Nottingham has designed a new type of needle that may make egg retrieval more effective.

The design helps generate stronger fluid motion inside ovarian follicles, increasing the chances of retrieving healthy eggs.

"Ultimately, the richer the fluid motion you induce, the more likely you are to extract an oocyte," said fluid dynamics expert Radu Cimpeanu.

Researchers in Spain are also experimenting with magnetic nanoparticles that attach to eggs and embryos, allowing embryologists to move them using magnets rather than physically grasping them.

"We developed a pipette where you have a magnet on the top," said Maria Jiménez-Movilla.

Other projects are examining ways to better identify which embryos have the highest chance of developing into healthy babies. Scientists in Australia, for instance, are testing a technique that uses light to analyse lipid levels inside embryos to measure their metabolic activity.

"There are decades of research on how important embryo metabolism is for that embryo to develop into a live birth," said Kylie Dunning.

Despite these efforts, some fertility experts caution that dramatic improvements may be difficult to achieve.

"Everything sounds potentially good," said Joyce Harper. "Then the research studies happen and we realise it doesn't work."

Harper also noted that IVF clinics have become increasingly high-tech and expensive without always delivering significantly better outcomes.

"IVF is big, big money," she said. "Now we have all these super high-tech shiny labs. I'm not convinced they are producing better success rates."

Scientists are also exploring a more radical future technology known as in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), which could allow eggs or sperm to be created from ordinary body cells such as skin samples.

If successful, the technique could help people who cannot naturally produce reproductive cells, including some cancer survivors or individuals born with infertility.

"Because they were treated for cancer, because they were born that way," said Eli Adashi. "They could potentially be helped whereas before they could not."

However, researchers say the technology is still years away from practical use in humans and raises complex ethical questions.

For now, IVF continues to offer hope to millions of couples despite its uncertainties. As one fertility specialist recently shared with patients who had struggled for years, even small successes can mean everything.

"After three years of trying, they had their positive test," said Tim Child, recalling a message from a patient, "and a heartbeat on scan this morning."