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PGT-A (Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies)

Genetic abnormalities or mutation is the changing of the DNA structure, gene, or chromosome arrangement. It could be simply divided into chromosomal part, gene part and single protein of DNA part. Generally, 1-3% of defects and be identified during pregnancy, therefore, preimplantation genetic testing are created to identify genetic defects in embryos created through Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) before pregnancy.

The preimplantation genetic testing has differently purposes and limitations, at Safe Fertility Group, we offer the choices of PGT-A (Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy), PGT-M (Preimplantation genetic testing for monogenetic) and PGT-SR (Preimplantation genetic testing for structural rearrangement).

Safe Fertility Group has been using Next Generation Sequencing since 2014 (the first clinic in Thailand). NGS enables our laboratory to work with extreme effectiveness and efficiency because it provides the opportunity for assay workflow improvement, higher throughput, and enhanced performance. In essence, NGS greatly helps our patients to have healthier babies.

The NGS technology has high resolution and can screen the size of gain and loss down to at least 10Mb because it has millions of data points as detectors. Furthermore, automation is using for library preparation procedure (before transfer sample to illumina NGS machine), so it helps reducing human error and increases the reliability of result. We are also the first laboratory in Thailand who brings automation for library preparation.

Additionally, the NGS platform is also useful for other different applications using different approaches, such as detecting structural chromosomes, inversions, and translocations.

Our group introduced the PGT-A method, which uses NGS technology, branded as 'Life NGS'. PGT-A (as formerly known as ‘PGS’) by using NGS has been used worldwide because it offers a better resolution, accuracy and is less time consuming for testing than past techniques. The effective applications of PGT-A have dramatically been expanded with increased availability of sequence-based information on chromosomal numerical abnormalities (aneuploidy).

PGT-A (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies)

PGT-A aims to screen all of 23 pair of human chromosomes (22 body chromosome along with the X chromosome and Y chromosome). The chromosomal numerical abnormalities (aneuploidy) of the embryo are one many factors of an unsuccessful pregnancy. As the result, PGT-A is offered to detect aneuploidy in embryos before getting pregnant, especially in couples that are part the following criteria: advanced maternal age, recurrent implantation failure, previous birth with fatal anomalies, and recurrent miscarriages.

Some examples of common aneuploidies that would be found during pregnancy or birth defects include Down's syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18), Patau's syndrome (trisomy 13) and Tuner syndrome (monosomy).