Nasser AL-ASMAR (Spain)
Nasser Al-Asmar received his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, and a Master Degree in Biotechnology of Human Assisted Reproduction at Valencia University (Spain). He is currently doing his PhD in Biomedicine and Biotechnology with the topic: “Importance of the chromosomal analysis of the products of conception by next generation sequencing techniques (NGS) and aCGH for an appropriate reproductive advice.” University of Valencia, Spain. He was Laboratory Manager at Igenomix USA (Miami, FL) from its opening in 2012 until January 2016, when he became Scientific Advisor first in the USA and now for Spain and Latam.
Nasser Al-Asmar has over 10 years of clinical and research laboratory experience, first at IVI-Valencia Clinic (Spain) at the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Laboratory, after that at Igenomix (Spain) at the Preimplantation Genetic Screening Laboratory and then at Igenomix USA (Miami, FL).
In the clinical setting, he has extensive experience in the study of chromosomal in embryos abnormalities (PGT-A) and spermatozoa using array CGH technology and fluorescence “in situ” hybridization. He is also currently developing these same studies for the new technique in Assisted Reproduction, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), analyzing Products of Conception as well.
Abstract
Chromosomal Analysis of the Embryos. Current Status and New Challenges
Preimplantation Genetic Testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A), previously known as PGS, was introduced in clinical practice to improve pregnancy rates in sub-fertile couples, based on the assumption that high rates of chromosomal aneuploidy, frequently found in cleavage-stage embryos of these couples, were responsible for low pregnancy rates after ART. The main goals for most of the indications are not only to increase implantation and pregnancy rates, but also to decrease miscarriages, and the risk of aneuploid offspring, as well as to decrease the time to conceive. In addition, the usefulness of PGT-A to grade embryos ahead of single embryo transfer is a great leap forward for IVF, allowing for safer pregnancies while maintaining high implantation and pregnancy rates across all patient populations. The efficiency of PGT for different indications has been assessed in several randomized controlled studies (RCT). Most of the early RCT studies were focused on the advanced maternal age group, but retrospective studies showed the potential value for other indications such us recurrent miscarriage, repetitive implantation failure, previous trisomic pregnancies and male factor. In our group, we have conducted two RCTs, in advanced maternal age and, in severe male infertility with significantly higher ongoing implantation and pregnancy rates in the PGT-A groups. Two years ago, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) was applied to the field of embryo genetic assessment allowing not only for aneuploidy screening, but also mitochondrial DNA content. During the last year, with the introduction of new equipments: IonChefTM and S5 XL sequencer (Lifetechnologies®), which are robust, reproducible and semiautomated we were able to improve the PGT-A protocol to detect mosaicism degrees and translocations (PGT-SR) as small as >6Mb. The application of this new semiautomated NGS protocol has decreased the cost considerably and simplify the protocol, allowing the spread of PGT to a broader population mainly using blastocyst biopsy to increase success rates in IVF programs.