Research led by IVF-Life Group Laboratory Director, Llanos Medrano, suggests that the use of culture media supplemented with GM-CSF during the culture of thawed embryos prior to transfer could improve clinical pregnancy rates in patients using their own oocytes.
The study, presented this week as an oral communication at the annual congress of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), analyzed the outcomes of 782 frozen embryo transfers performed between December 2024 and December 2025.
GM-CSF (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor) is a molecule naturally present in the endometrium that plays a role in the communication between the embryo and the uterus during the earliest stages of pregnancy. Its function is associated with immune regulation and the creation of a favorable environment for embryo implantation.
Based on this biological rationale, the research team sought to determine whether exposing embryos to media containing this molecule during the hours prior to transfer could translate into improved reproductive outcomes.
To do so, the researchers compared two groups of patients undergoing frozen embryo transfer. In one group, embryos were recovered after warming following vitrification and transferred using GM-CSF-enriched media, while conventional media were used in the other group.
The results showed that, in treatments using patients' own oocytes, the use of GM-CSF was associated with a significant increase in the clinical pregnancy rate, defined as pregnancies in which the gestational sac and the early progression of the pregnancy can already be confirmed by ultrasound.
According to the researchers, this finding may indicate that the effect of GM-CSF is not limited to promoting embryo implantation, but may also contribute to the stability and continuation of pregnancy during its early stages.
However, the study did not observe significant differences in cycles involving egg donation, suggesting that the potential benefit of this strategy may depend on characteristics specific to each patient group.
"The goal of research in assisted reproduction is to identify small improvements that, when combined, can increase our patients' chances of success. These advances also contribute to the development of increasingly personalized treatments tailored to the characteristics of each patient," explains Dr. Llanos Medrano.
The authors emphasize that, although this is a retrospective study and further research will be required to confirm these findings and evaluate their impact on live birth rates, the data obtained suggest that the use of GM-CSF during the preparation and transfer of frozen embryos could become an additional tool for optimizing the outcomes of certain in vitro fertilization treatments.
The research is part of the four scientific studies that IVF-Life is presenting this year at the ESHRE congress, regarded as Europe's leading event in reproductive medicine and embryology.
Privacy Policy
IVF-LIFE, hereby informs you of its privacy policy applied to personal data. The use of the website does not imply that the user must provide any information regarding their identity, and cannot be associated with a specific user by the company. In the event that personal data is provided, this data will be collected and used in accordance with the limitations and rights set out in the aforementioned regulation.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROCESSING OF YOUR DATA?
DATA CONTROLLER: IVF SPAIN ALICANTE S.L.U (hereinafter IVF-Life)
CIF: B-54973227
Postal Address: Avenida de Ansaldo, no. 13, 03540, Alicante (Alicante)
Contact with the Data Protection Officer: dpo@ivf-life-group.com
DATA CONTROLLER: Instituto Vasco de Fertilidad (hereinafter IVF-Life)
CIF: B95575874
Postal Address: Avenida de Tolosa, 71-73, 20018 Donostia / San Sebastián (Spain)
Contact with the Data Protection Officer: dpo@ivf-life-group.com
DATA CONTROLLER: IVF Spain Madrid (hereinafter IVF-Life)
CIF: B 85138113
Postal Address: C/ de Manuel de Falla, 6-8, 28036 Madrid (Spain)
Contact with the Data Protection Officer: dpo@ivf-life-group.com
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- Connection, geolocation and navigation data.
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The use of certain services or requests addressed to IVF-LIFE are subject to the prior completion of the corresponding form. All the information provided by the User through the forms on the Portal for the above purposes or any other must be truthful.
To this end, the User guarantees the authenticity of all the data provided and will keep the information provided to IVF-LIFE perfectly up to date so that it corresponds at all times to the User's real situation. In any case, the User will be solely responsible for any false or inaccurate statements made and for any damage caused to IVF-LIFE or third parties because of the information provided.
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Users who provide personal data of other natural persons are obliged to comply, in relation to said data, with all obligations deriving from the data protection regulations in force, and in particular the duty to inform and obtain the consent of the owner of the personal data.
When we request your personal data to provide access to certain website functionalities, we will mark the required fields to ensure the service can be delivered.
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For the processing of data, IVF-LIFE adopts the security levels required by current European and national legislation on the Protection of Personal Data. Notwithstanding the above, technical security in a medium such as the Internet is not impregnable and there may be leaks due to the malicious actions of third parties.
Our services are aimed at people of legal age, in the event that some of our services are specifically aimed at minors, IVF-LIFE will request the consent of parents or guardians for the collection of personal data or, where appropriate, for the automated processing of data as set out in current legislation. If the User is a minor, they are required to have the prior consent of their parents or guardians before proceeding to the inclusion of their personal data in the forms on the Website.
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We only process the personal data that is strictly necessary to manage or resolve your request or application.
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To the extent that you subscribe to our newsletter, your personal data will be used for the periodic sending of company newsletters.
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Usability and quality analysis to improve our services (cookies).
If you access our platform, we inform you that we will process your browsing data for analytical and statistical purposes, i.e. to understand how users interact with our platform and thus be able to make improvements to it. Likewise, we sometimes carry out quality actions and surveys aimed at finding out the degree of satisfaction of our customers and users and detecting those areas in which we can improve.
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Social networking
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Usability and quality analysis (cookies)
User consent to the use of cookies.
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Request for information. We will process your data for as long as it is necessary to deal with your request or request and thereafter 1 year.
Marketing
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Personal data will not be transferred or communicated to third parties, except: legal obligation, we obtain your express consent, or we understand that there is a legitimate interest on our part, which will be duly communicated to you.
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You can access these social networks voluntarily and through the links available on the website itself or by accessing directly and on your own from your browser or installed app.
You should know that this website is not responsible for the use of the data that these social networks may make. However, when these data are generated in the social network and derive from an interaction with our website, we will not be held responsible for the use of such data.
In order to consent to our transfer from this website and the processing of your data, you should carefully read the privacy policy of the social network you wish to access:
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In this way, before clicking on the logos of the SS. RR. present on our website, you can inform yourself and make a redirection with prior knowledge of the processing of your data and on a voluntary basis.
Other technological services:
- WhatsApp: WhatsApp Privacy Policy
- Companies of the "IVF LIFE Group" on the legal basis of consent or legitimate interest: Instituto Vasco de Fertilidad S.L.U., with NIF B95575874 and address at Avda Tolosa, 71-73 Donostia (Gipuzkoa), and IVF Spain Madrid S.L., with NIF B85138113 and address at Calle Manuel de Falla, 6-8, 28036 Madrid.
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We undertake to respect the confidentiality of your personal data and to guarantee you the exercise of your rights.
You may exercise them free of charge by sending us an e-mail to our address above, simply by providing proof of identity, the reason for your request and the right you wish to exercise.
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Ask us for access to the data we hold about you.
Ask us to rectify the data we already hold about you. Please note that by actively providing us with your personal information in any way, you warrant that it is true and accurate and you undertake to notify us of any changes or modifications to it.
Ask us to delete your data to the extent that they are no longer necessary for the purpose for which we need to process them as we have previously informed you, or to the extent that we no longer have the legitimacy to do so.
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To receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form and to transfer it to another data controller.
Moreover, where the processing of your data is based on our legitimate interest, you also have the right to object to the processing of your data.
Finally, we inform you of your right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority, with the Spanish Data Protection Agency.
CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY
We may change the information contained in this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we do so, we will notify you by various means through the Platform, or we will notify you at your email address when the change in question is significant to your privacy, so that you can review the changes, assess them and, where appropriate, object to or unsubscribe from any service or functionality.
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