US2015167081A1PendingUtilityA1

Methods of assessing the risk of reproductive failure by measuring telomere length

44
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Oct 16, 2002Filed: Jul 3, 2014Published: Jun 18, 2015
Est. expiryOct 16, 2022(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:David L. Keefe
A61B 17/435C12Q 2600/156C12Q 1/6883C12Q 1/6841C12Q 1/6827C12Q 1/68C12Q 1/6888
44
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Claims

Abstract

The invention features a method of identifying oocytes with a risk of reproductive failure and/or aneuploidy based on a telomere length assay.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method for determining the risk of reproductive failure in a cell comprising:
 obtaining at least one chromosome from the cell;   measuring telomere length of the chromosome; and   comparing the measured length of the telomere to the standardized average length of a control telomere;   to thereby determine the risk of reproductive failure in the cell.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell is an oocyte, an oocyte representative of a population of oocytes, a polar body from a fertilized oocyte, or a polar body from an unfertilized oocyte. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cell is an oocyte. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a labeled telomere-specific probe is hybridized to the chromosome prior to measuring telomere length of the chromosome. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the probe is hybridized to telomere repeats. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the probe is peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-labeled. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the telomere is measured using quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) analysis. 
     
     
         8 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of in vitro fertilization comprising:
 selecting a fertilized oocyte according to the method of  claim 1 ; and   implanting the selected fertilized oocyte in the subject.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         22 . A method for optimizing the viability of an embryo comprising: selecting a fertilized oocyte according to the method of  claim 1 ; and implanting the selected fertilized oocyte in a subject. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         24 . A method for determining the risk of aneuploidy in a cell comprising:
 obtaining at least one chromosome from the cell;   measuring telomere length of the chromosome; and   comparing the measured length of the telomere to the standardized average length of a control telomere;   
       to thereby determine the risk of aneuploidy in the cell. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the cell is selected from the group consisting of an oocyte, an oocyte representative of a population of oocytes, a polar body from a fertilized oocyte, and a polar body from an unfertilized oocyte. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein a labeled telomere-specific probe is hybridized to the chromosome prior to measuring telomere length of the chromosome. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the probe is hybridized to telomere repeats. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the probe is peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-labeled. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the telomere is measured using quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) analysis. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  for use in vitro fertilization (IVF). 
     
     
         31 - 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the telomere specific probe comprises a nucleic acid sequence identified by any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 through 10. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the telomere specific probe comprises a nucleic acid sequence having at least about 80 percent sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID. NOS. 1 through 10. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the telomere specific probe comprises a nucleic acid sequence having at least about 90 percent sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID. NOS. 1 through 10. 
     
     
         52 . A kit for determining the risk of reproductive failure and/or aneuploidy in a cell comprising
 reagents for preparing a chromosomal spread from the cell or at least one cell in a population of cells representative of said cell; labeled telomere-specific repeat probes; reagents for performing quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) analysis on the chromosomal spread; and instructions for measuring the length of a telomere obtained from the chromosomal spread, or obtained from a chromosome of said cell, and comparing the measured length of the telomere to the standardized average length of a control.   
     
     
         53 . The kit of  claim 52 , wherein the chromosome is obtained from a cell selected from the group consisting of an oocyte, an oocyte representative of a population of oocytes, or the polar body from a fertilized or unfertilized oocyte. 
     
     
         54 . The kit of  claim 52 , wherein the probes are peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-labeled.

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