Assisted fertility: A method with AI allows first pregnancy after 18 years of attempts

A couple manages to conceive after almost two decades of failed attempts thanks to the innovative Star Method, developed at the Fertility Center of Columbia University. The AI is consolidated as a key ally in the fight against male infertility.

After 18 years of unsuccessful attempts and multiple rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in fertility centers around the world, a couple finally waits for their first child.

The milestone was possible thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and the Star Method, a pioneer technology developed in the Fertility Center of Columbia University (Columbia University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology).

A devastating diagnosis and renewed hope

The case of this couple, who has preferred to maintain anonymity, is representative of the challenges faced by those who suffer from Azoospermia, a rare condition in which sperm are not detected in the male semen.

While a typical sample contains between 200 and 300 million sperm, men with azoospermia can have only two or three, low figures that are undetectable even after hours of searching under the microscope.

“This is usually a really heartbreaking, shocking and unexpected diagnosis,” explained the Dr. Zev Williamsdirector of the Fertility Center of the University of Columbia.

“The majority of men with azoospermia feel completely healthy and normal. There is no deterioration of their sexual function, and semen is also normal. The difference is that when observing it at the microscope, instead of literally seeing hundreds of millions of sperm swimming swimming, only cells and cell fragments are seen, but no sperm.”

THE STAR METHOD: AI at the service of fertility

The Star method, monitoring and recovery of sperm (Sperm Tracking and Recovery), Use AI to identify and recover hidden sperm in samples of semen of patients with azoospermia.

The system, connected to a microscope through a high -speed camera and high -power image technology, scan the sample and take more than 8 million images in less than an hour. Thus, it manages to find the sperm that have been trained to identify.

“It’s like looking for a needle scattered between a thousand Pajares, completing the search in less than an hour and doing so carefully, without harmful spots or spots, which the sperm can still be used to fertilize an ovule,” said Dr. Williams.

In the case of the main couple, the system found three hidden sperm, which were used to fertilize the wife’s ovules by IVF, achieving the first successful pregnancy with this method. The birth is scheduled for December.

Asked by CNN, the woman shared her emotion saying that “it took me for two days to believe that I was pregnant. I still wake up in the morning and I cannot believe if it is true or not. I still do not believe that I am pregnant until I see the ultrasound.”

Impact and future of AI on reproductive medicine

The development of the Star method required five years of work and represents a less invasive and painful alternative against traditional surgeries to extract sperm directly from the testicles, which can cause permanent damage. The cost of the procedure is around $ 3,000.

The AI is already used in other aspects of reproductive medicine, such as the evaluation of the quality of ovules and embryos, the customization of IVFer protocols and the prediction of successful rates. “AI helps us see what our eyes cannot see,” said Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh, reproductive endocrinologist and presenter of the podcast “The Egg Whisperer Show.” “The AI does not create sperm, but it helps us find the rare and viable that already exist, but that are almost invisible. It is a great advance not because it replaces human experience, but because it amplifies it, and that is the future of fertility.”

Precautions and scientific validation

Despite the enthusiasm, some experts call caution. He Dr. Gianpiero PalermoProfessor of Embryology and Director of Andrology and Assisted Fertilization at Weill Cornell Medicine, warned that “AI is gaining a lot of popularity today to offer an impartial evaluation of embryos through the analysis of their morphology. However, the models currently available still have some inconsistency and require additional validation.”

Palermo stressed that the Star method still needs to be validated and that, inevitably, some men will not have sperm, “regardless of how their samples are analyzed, either by humans or by a machine.”

An advance that changes lives

The Star method, for now available only at the Fertility Center of Columbia University, could mark a before and after for couples that face male infertility.

“It was really a team effort to develop this, and that is what really motivated everyone, the fact that it can now help couples who otherwise could not have that opportunity,” concluded Dr. Williams.

The history of this couple is a testimony of the power of technological innovation and scientific collaboration to transform lives and open new doors in the field of fertility.

Fuente: Columbia University, CNN