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Abhijit Kulkarni: The Missing Answer to Repeated IVF Failure May Lie in the Genes
Abhijit Kulkarni/LinkedIn
Oct 14, 2026, 17:21

Abhijit Kulkarni: The Missing Answer to Repeated IVF Failure May Lie in the Genes

Abhijit Kulkarni, Senior Consultant at Avenues, shared a post on LinkedIn about a paper by Annelore Van Der Kelen et al. published in Human Reproduction:

“Repeated IVF failure? The missing answer may lie in the genes – not just the treatment protocol.

Could genetics explain why some oocytes fail to mature, fertilisation does not occur, or embryos stop developing?

A recent review published in Human Reproduction (2026) sheds new light on oocyte, zygote and embryo maturation arrest (OZEMA) – a group of reproductive disorders that may have an underlying genetic cause.

What makes this review important? The authors analysed published evidence involving 521 patients and 39 genes associated with OZEMA, proposing evidence-based clinical thresholds to help identify patients who may benefit from genetic investigation.

Three key takeaways for fertility practice:

  1. Look beyond conventional IVF parameters. Repeated failure of oocyte maturation, fertilisation or embryo development may warrant consideration of an underlying genetic cause.
  2. Recognise patterns, not just isolated outcomes. Developmental arrest can occur at different stages, and some patients may experience more than one type of abnormality across treatment cycles.
  3. Consider targeted genetic investigation. A clearer clinical definition of these phenotypes could help guide genetic testing, counselling and more individualised reproductive care.

One important message: poor IVF outcomes should not automatically be attributed to chance or laboratory factors. In selected patients, a genetic explanation may be worth exploring.

The proposed thresholds are an important step towards standardising clinical assessment, although prospective validation is still needed. They should support, rather than replace, individual clinical judgement.

For fertility specialists and embryologists: When faced with recurrent fertilisation failure or early embryo arrest, how often do you consider maternal-effect genes as part of the diagnostic work-up?”

Title: A comprehensive review for defining cut-off values of oocyte, zygote, and embryo maturation arrest (OZEMA) due to maternal-effect genes: towards the establishment of clinical criteria

Authors: Annelore Van Der Kelen, Özlem Okutman, Munevver Serdarogullari, Bart J H Dequeker, Elodie Javey, Antonio Capalbo, Cecile Lang, Georgia Kakourou, Efthymia Konstantinou, Francesca Mulas, Karen Sermon, Willem Verpoest, Stéphane Viville

You can read the Full Article in Human Reproduction.

Abhijit Kulkarni

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Abhijit Kulkarni Annelore Van Der Kelen Antonio Capalbo Bart J H Dequeker Cecile Lang Efthymia Konstantinou Elodie Javey Fertility Fertility News Francesca Mulas Georgia Kakourou Human Reproduction IVF Karen Sermon Munevver Serdarogullari OB-GYN oocyte OZEMA Özlem Okutman reproductive health Reproductive Medicine Stéphane Viville Willem Verpoest Women’s Health
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