Lipiodol bathing prior to IVF:  The IVF-LUBE Study

Neil Johnson

Previous research conducted by Neil Johnson has shown that Lipiodol, a poppy seed oil, is an effective fertility treatment for couples with unexplained infertility and for women with mild endometriosis. Pregnancies in these studies occurred naturally, through sexual intercourse after the Lipiodol treatment.

While success rates for IVF and ICSI continue to improve, the point at which treatment often fails is after embryo transfer. To date few studies have uncovered ways to overcome implantation failure – but treatments to improve the chance of embryos implanting would revolutionise IVF/ICSI treatments.

With this in mind, Neil Johnson is embarking on a new study to determine whether Lipiodol would benefit women going through IVF/ICSI who have had recurrent implantation failure in previous IVF/ICSI cycles. The study aims to determine whether bathing the uterus with Lipiodol prior to IVF/ICSI treatment will improve the chance of pregnancy for women with previous IVF/ICSI implantation failure, and also for women with endometriosis who are having IVF/ICSI treatment.

It is thought that Lipiodol may enhance the environment within the womb, making it more receptive to embryo implantation. An embryo is essentially ‘foreign tissue’ in the mother’s body, and for pregnancy to occur the mother’s immune system needs to be sent the right signals so that the embryo is not rejected. Lipiodol may enhance cell-signalling within the endometrium, enabling the embryo to successfully implant.

The IVF-LUBE study aims to recruit 350 participants from fertility clinics throughout New Zealand including: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Waikato and Wellington. As part of an international multi-centre trial, participants may also be sought in Australia and the UK.

Participants will be randomised to receive either Lipiodol uterine bathing prior to starting drugs for their scheduled IVF/ICSI cycle, or proceed with IVF/ICSI alone. To be included in the study participants need to be:

• Women aged 39 or under
• Infertility has been established for more than 12 months or the cause of infertility is known
• Both fallopian tubes are clear and unblocked
• Scheduled to undergo IVF/ICSI
• Have had three consecutive embryo transfers (fresh or thawed embryos of good quality) that did not result in pregnancy or have been diagnosed with endometriosis

If you are interested in taking part in this study or would like further information, please contact Shelley Reilly on:

Phone: 021 915 771

Email: sreilly@adhb.govt.nz

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