New Israeli tech doubles IVF success rates

Feb 11, 2025 7:14 am | Israel21c

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A recent Israeli advancement in fertility science may hold the key to combating the ongoing global decline in fertility rates, by nearly doubling the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The new technology, developed in the lab of Tel Aviv University Prof. Natan T. Shaked, takes advantage of the light-conducting properties of cells, allowing embryologists to visualize and analyze the internal structure of live sperm cells with extreme accuracy.

By using advanced imaging techniques that map cellular structures without invasive procedures, researchers can now peek into the microscopic world of reproductive cells with unprecedented detail. This allows for measurements of previously unattainable parameters like cell mass, volume and structural integrity.

Until now, embryologists have had to rely on subjective criteria when evaluating the viability of a given sperm sample — the cells’ external appearance or motility. One commonly used method involves the use of chemical dyes, which better enable the inspection of sperm cells but risks damaging the cells in the process.

“Currently, about 90 percent of sperm cells that appear suitable to embryologists actually fail to meet internal morphological criteria,” explained Shaked. “Our technology changes that, offering a new tool to significantly improve IVF outcomes.”

The result is an increase in IVF success rates from 34% to 65% — nearly twice the amount. In a clinical trial at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, the technology resulted in 20 pregnancies out of 31 embryo transfers, compared to just 14 pregnancies out of 41 transfers in the control group.

The technology is currently being implemented in clinics throughout Israel (in Ashkelon, Kfar Saba, Ramat HaHayal, Afula and Nahariya), as well as internationally in California and Japan. Dozens of couples have enrolled in clinical trials.

Shaked describes it as providing “a new and essential tool to identify sperm cells that meet the World Health Organization criteria for IVF labs.”

A description of the new method was published in the journals PNAS, Advanced Science, and Fertility and Sterility.

No better time to boost births

Fertility rates in developed countries have been declining for decades. According to United Nations statistics, the average global total fertility rate has dropped from 4.8 births per woman in 1970 to 2.2 in 2024.

This demographic shift threatens to impact economic stability, social structures and the long-term sustainability of many developed nations.

“Fertility issues are becoming increasingly critical: one in six couples faces fertility problems, with male-related issues accounting for half of the cases,” explained Dr. Bozhena Saar-Ryss from Barzilai Medical Center. “Over the past few decades, sperm counts in young, healthy men have dropped by approximately 50%.

“Additionally, in certain countries like Japan, Korea and Spain, dramatic declines in birth rates are leading to population shrinkage. The causes for this are diverse and include societal trends like career prioritization and delayed marriages, as well as health issues potentially caused by environmental pollutants,” Saar-Rhys added.

These statistics highlight the need for innovative reproductive technologies like the one developed at Tel Aviv University.

Selecting the best swimmers

Backed by Tel Aviv University’s investment fund and technology transfer company Ramot, the technology is being commercialized through QART Medical, a startup that aims to bring this solution to fertility clinics worldwide.

Following the initial success of their research, Shaked and his team are currently developing an additional method to detect DNA fragmentation in sperm cells.

“Our goal is to provide embryologists with a technology that enables individual sperm selection based on three essential criteria: motility, internal structure and unfragmented DNA,” says Shaked. “This will allow embryologists to select the best sperm cell for fertilization and dramatically improve success rates in this vital procedure.”