POC Oral Swab Test to Increase Chances of Pregnancy in IVF

Approximately 15% of couples of reproductive age experience involuntary childlessness. A significant reason for this is the growing trend of delaying family planning, a global shift that is expected to increase in the future. In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment involves stimulating the woman’s ovaries to mature multiple eggs, which are then retrieved, fertilized with sperm in the lab, and later re-implanted into the uterus. There are two main types of hormone treatments available for egg maturation: biological and synthetic. However, while hormone therapy is essential, it carries risks of severe side effects, sometimes leading to the need for intensive care, and many IVF attempts are unsuccessful. One key factor influencing the success of IVF is the choice of hormone therapy, but healthcare providers often face the challenge of selecting the most effective treatment for each woman. Now, a simple oral swab test conducted before IVF could ensure higher success rates.

To identify the most effective hormone treatment for each individual, researchers at Lund University (Lund, Sweden) turned to genetics. Their study involved 1,466 women undergoing IVF treatment, excluding those with endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Among the participants, 475 were randomly assigned to receive one of two hormone treatments, while the remaining participants served as controls. The researchers focused on a gene involved in fertilization, which regulates the action of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), a crucial hormone for egg maturation, and mapped this gene through gene sequencing.

The findings, published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, revealed that women carrying a specific variant of the FSH receptor (FSHR) gene, which regulates FSH activity, responded more favorably to biological hormone treatment. Meanwhile, other women benefited more from synthetic hormone treatments. The researchers believe that by understanding a woman’s genetic profile in advance, the likelihood of successful pregnancies can be significantly increased. However, gene mapping is both expensive and time-consuming. To address this, the researchers have developed a simple oral swab test that can quickly determine the most suitable hormone therapy within an hour, with the results indicated by a color change to pink or yellow, making it easy to interpret.

“Our hope is that this will reduce the risk of suffering for women, increase the number of successful treatments and cut costs for taxpayers. Our goal is for the test to be available by the start of 2026,” said Yvonne Lundberg Giwercman, professor at Lund University who led the research.