Epigenetics in assisted reproductive technology.

Abstract

It has been reported that the rates of epigenetic disorders such as Angelman syndrome (AS) and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) are high in offspring conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART). Angelman Syndrome is characterized by intellectual disability and BWS is known as large offspring syndrome (LOS). Weight abnormalities have also been reported in cloned animals. Possible factors underlying these findings include inherent gamete characteristics, influence of invitro culture and peculiarity of ART methods. It is important to conclusively determine whether such epigenetic abnormalities are present in children conceived by ART, so as to consider the health of next generations.