Thanks to advancing technologies and numerous studies in recent years, regenerative medicine has created new options for treatments in various fields of medicine, particularly in assisted reproduction.
One of the most recent improvements is the use of plasma rich in growth factors or PRGF. It consists of applying growth factors derived from the patient’s own blood in a very localised way. The basis of this technology is regenerative medicine, and therefore, using the resources of the human body to improve and regenerate itself.
PRGF offers promising results for certain reproductive problems, especially, the endometrium. The endometrial state is determinant in assisted reproduction treatments because optimal conditions are required for embryo implantation. It was shown that the PRGF infusions can thicken the endometrium in patients with refractory endometrium which does not grow sufficiently even with the help of hormonal therapy. PRGF stimulates the proliferation and secretion of essential biomolecules to improve the endometrial tissue. Besides, it positively influences the endometrium’s biological environment, making it more receptive to embryo implantation and improving its reproductive prognosis.
The use of plasma rich in growth factors in the endometrium is also presented as an effective alternative for patients with implantation failure, i.e., those who do not achieve pregnancy after several transfers of good-quality embryos. Therapeutic options with proven effectiveness are really limited in these cases. The purpose of PRGF in the endometrium of these patients is to stimulate its cells, which begin to secrete more progesterone and oestrogen receptors, which in turn cause the appearance of more adhesion molecules for the embryo.
PRGF can also be infused into the ovary to promote the regeneration of ovarian tissue. Although now it is a more experimental technique than in the case of the endometrium, what is attempted to achieve is to recover ovarian function by stimulating follicular development. Therefore, it would be indicated in patients with low ovarian reserve or premature ovarian failure.
Although the application of plasma rich in growth factors could be considered an ovarian rejuvenation technique, it is not applied to “rejuvenate” the ovary but to try to achieve more eggs.
One of the advantages of treatment with PRGF is that it is an autologous product, which means that since it comes from the same patient to whom it is infused, the risk of adverse effects, incompatibility or allergies is low. In addition, obtaining PRGF is not a complicated procedure for the woman, since it only requires a blood draw. Infusing PRGF into the uterus is a painless and simple procedure carried out by passing a fine cannula through the cervix. So, the process is similar to an embryo transfer and does not require anaesthesia.
The application of regenerative medicine and biological therapies allows us to see reproduction from a new biological perspective that can improve the prognosis of certain patients.
If you are interested in this technique or wish to get more information about a particular treatment email us at ivf@centromedicomanzanera.com or by filling in the contact form which you will find on our webpage: https://centromedicomanzanera.com/en/formulario-en/
María Pombar Gómez
Embryologist
IMAGE: Medicina Regenerativa | BTI Biotechnology Institute (bti-biotechnologyinstitute.com)
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