Intracytoplasmic sperm injection--an assisted reproduction technique that should make us cautious about imprinting deregulation.

OBJECTIVE

Due to the extensive use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in assisted reproduction, not only among couples with severe male factor infertility problems, but to a broader scale, a lot of concern has been raised regarding the safety of the method and its implications in epigenetic control and imprinting dysregulation. This review means to provide a comprehensive report of the published scientific data, outline putative associations between ICSI and epigenetic control, and suggest measures to improve the current state of affairs and reach more scientifically consolidated results.

METHODS

This review was conducted by studying a broad spectrum of articles dealing with the subject of epigenetic control and its relation with ICSI. We tried to view the two subjects as parallel procedures that occur in the organism and by delineating the molecular and biochemical steps that comprise them make suggestions about putative associations between ICSI and epigenetic control.

CONCLUSIONS

No hard evidence presented at the moment can prove or disapprove ICSI's implications in epigenetic control. Nevertheless, we take the view that more comprehensive, long-term, and properly designed studies are imperative to be applied on a large-scale basis. We urge cautiousness, since the welfare of our progeny is what is at stake.