Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
Guy meets girl, sperm meets egg and for many lucky couples having a baby is then a simple matter of biology. However, in reality the events that lead up to successful fertilisation are incredibly complex and according to the Human Embryo and Fertilisation Authority, around 1 in 6 couples (equating to 3.5 million people in the UK) will experience fertility problems at some point in their lives. For these couples fertility treatment might be the only chance of having a child.
The field of reproductive biology has advanced dramatically since the birth of the first test tube baby in 1978. Louise Brown was the first baby to be born as a result of a successful in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure and the 25th July marks the anniversary of her birth. Since then over three million babies have been born using assisted reproductive techniques (ART).
July’s Wellcome Image of the Month celebrates the successes of research in this field with a digital illustration of Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). ICSI is an alternative method of IVF that is used when standard techniques are unlikely to be successful. During standard IVF oocytes (egg cells) are extracted from the female after hormonal stimulation of the ovaries (superovulation) and combined with sperm in a Petri dish, which are incubated at 37 degrees (body temperature) to allow fertilisation to take place.
However, this standard technique for IVF is reliant upon good sperm quality and motility for its success, and is used when infertility is caused by defects in the female’s reproductive tract or a low sperm count. ICSI is preferred when infertility is caused by poor sperm motility and dramatically low sperm counts. The procedure involves injecting a single spermatozoon (sperm cell) directly into the female oocyte, which is then processed by the egg allowing it to release its genetic contents thus resulting in fertilisation.
Thanks to developments like this, there are now 11 different fertility treatment options regulated by HEFA in the UK, that are available to infertile couples. So, for many, the decision is not just whether they want children but how…
Dr Laura Pastorelli, Biomedical Images Coordinator, Wellcome Images
Image credit: Maurizio DeAngelis / Wellcome Images
Wellcome Images is one of the world’s richest and most unique collections, with themes ranging from medical and social history to contemporary healthcare and biomedical science. All our images are available in digital form so please click the link above if you would like to use the picture that features in this post, or to quickly find related ones. Many are free to use non-commercially under the terms of a Creative Commons licence and full details of the specific licence for each image are provided.
Filed under: Development, Ageing and Chronic Disease, Wellcome Image of the Month, Wellcome Images Tagged: Assited reproductive techniques, Human Embryo and Fertilisation Authority, ICSI, In vitro fertilisation, Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, IVF, Oocyte, Sperm, Sperm motility
