17th International Conference on Preimplantation Genetics

17th International Conference on Preimplantation Genetics is organized by Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society (PGDIS) and will be held during May 03 - 06, 2018 at Centara Grand at CentralWorld, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand. This CME Conference has been approved for a maximum of 18 CME/CPD Credits.

This Conference addresses the most recent developments in preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and the approaches for prospective identification of at-risk PGT couples, to improve their access to PGT technology.

While the developments in 24-chromosome aneuploidy testing (PGT-A) have improved the embryo selection procedure, they have also resulted in the identification of sub-chromosomal variations and mosaicism, one of the major issues to be addressed, as there is no sufficient understanding in their biological significance and clinical impact on PGT outcome. A significant proportion of mosaicism and segmental imbalances, undetected by low-resolution PGT-A methods, may survive implantation and contribute to the fetal loss, the utility of this information will be further explored to update the recommendation of the previous PGDIS Position Statement on the subject, for better interpretation and proper counseling the patients with such embryo variations.

Among important aspects to address will be also the requirements for expanding testing to segmental aneuploidies that can potentially cause miscarriage and for undertaking additional testing of euploid embryos to improve the chances to implant and result in a viable pregnancy. However, these tests will further increase PGT cost, so the emphasis will be on a critical review of their utility as part of the embryo selection process. Among the candidate tests addressed will be cytoplasmic DNA contents, epigenetics, and gene expression profiles, time-lapse imaging and endometrial receptivity, the available data on which are insufficient or controversial, to make a decision for their practical utility as part of PGT.

In addressing PGT for monogenic disorders (PGT-M), the emphasis will be on the possible universal PGT approaches, as an increasing number of PGT-M is presently performed combined with PGT-A, providing the WGA product for evaluation of mt-DNA copy number or any other additional test, as part of the embryo selection process. However, there are still limitations of such combine testing, requiring careful consideration.

Additional details will be posted as soon as they are available.