Kisspeptin makes IVF Safer: Research

Researchers said that they have found a safer and more effective way of stimulating ovulation in women who are undergoing in-vitro fertilization.

According to scientists at the Imperial College London, a naturally occurring hormone kisspeptin is better than a hormone called hCG.

The new method was tested on 53 healthy volunteers at the Hammersmith Hospital in London. Researchers report that 12 babies have been born after the treatment.

The study, funded by the Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research and the Wellcome Trust and is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The team said that hCG can overstimulate the ovaries, which can result in nausea and vomiting. Some women could also suffer kidney failure after using hCG.

Kisspeptin, researchers said, breaks down in the body faster than hCG and so doesn't increase the risk overstimulation.

"Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)  is a major medical problem. It can be fatal in severe cases and it occurs in women undergoing IVF treatment who are otherwise very healthy. We really need more effective natural triggers for egg maturation during IVF treatment, and the results of this trial are very promising," said Waljit Dhillo, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, lead author of the study.

The women in the study were given a single injection of kisspeptin to induce ovulation. Fifty one of the 53 participants developed mature eggs. Around 49 women had one or two fertilized embryos transferred to the uterus. In the study group, 12 women became pregnant.

"Our study has shown that kisspeptin can be used as a physiological trigger for egg maturation in IVF therapy," said Professor Dhillo in a news release. "It's been a joy to see 12 healthy babies born using this approach. We will now be doing more studies to test whether kisspeptin reduces the risk of OHSS in women who are most prone to developing it, with a view to improving the safety of IVF therapy."