PGD can be used for diagnosis of a genetic disease in early embryos, prior to implantation and pregnancy.  After PGD only normal embryos are transferred to the mother’s womb. The challenge now is if another form of PGD, PGS can be utilized in the field of assisted reproduction for aneuploidy screening and diagnosis of unbalanced inheritance of chromosome abnormalities, such as translocations or inversions. We now expect research results to show us if there is a clinical benefit from PGS.

In this photograph from the summer of 1990 in London, I’m holding in my arms Danielle and Natalie, the first babies in the world that were born healthy after the use of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD).

It was my honor to perform at Hammersmith Hospital, London, the genetic diagnosis for the first PGD worldwide. Since then, this revolutionary method has helped many couples become parents, although they had a serious genetically inherited disease. (http://www.nature.com/…/journal/v344/n6268/abs/344768a0.html)

25 years passed since we performed the first PGD in the world. On Sunday 31^st May, at the 13^th Obstetrics and Gynecology Conference, in Volos, Greece, I will speak about the latest developments in PGD and PGS.  I answer the question “Can PGS increase the percentage of pregnancies and decrease the percentage of miscarriages in couples who do IVF treatment?”