Approximately 15 percent of couples of reproductive age experience involuntary childlessness, a growing issue as more individuals delay starting families. In response, assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF) have become increasingly common. In Europe alone, around one million IVF cycles are performed annually, including 25,000 in Sweden.
However, IVF success rates remain modest, with roughly 75 percent of attempts failing. Moreover, hormone treatments used to stimulate egg maturation carry significant risks, including serious side effects requiring emergency care. In Sweden, government subsidies cover up to three IVF cycles per patient.
Now, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a simple oral swab test that could personalize IVF hormone therapy, improving success rates and reducing risks.
Genetic Clues to Hormone Treatment Response
IVF involves stimulating the ovaries to mature multiple eggs, which are then fertilized in the lab and implanted back into the uterus. The hormone stimulation can be biological or synthetic, but choosing the optimal treatment for each woman has often been a matter of trial and error.
“We currently rely somewhat on guesswork to determine which hormone therapy works best,” said Ida Hjelmér, PhD, laboratory researcher at Lund University and first author of the study.
To address this, the research team analyzed the genetics of 1,466 women undergoing IVF at the Reproductive Medicine Centre at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö. Women with conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome were excluded to focus on a more homogeneous group.
The researchers focused on a variant of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) gene, which influences how a woman’s body responds to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) — a key player in egg maturation.
Their findings revealed that women with one FSHR gene variant responded better to biological hormone treatments, while others fared better with synthetic hormones. Matching hormone therapy to a woman’s genetic profile significantly increased pregnancy rates.
Promising Results and Practical Innovation
“We observed a 38 percent increase in births among women whose hormone therapy was tailored to their gene variation,” said Professor Yvonne Lundberg Giwercman, who led the study. “For every 1,000 women undergoing IVF, that translates to 110 additional babies — roughly the size of four school classes.”
While genetic sequencing is traditionally expensive and time-consuming, the team has now developed a rapid, low-cost oral swab test that delivers results within an hour. The test produces a visible color change — pink or yellow — indicating the optimal hormone treatment.
The researchers have applied for a patent on the test and formed a startup, Dx4Life AB, to bring the product to market. The initiative receives support from LU Innovation, LU Ventures, and the SmiLe Incubator.
“Our goal is to make this test widely available by early 2026,” said Lundberg Giwercman, who is also the CEO of Dx4Life AB. “We hope it will reduce physical and emotional suffering for women, increase successful IVF outcomes, and lower healthcare costs.”
You Might Be Interested In:
- What to Do If You Have a Cough During Pregnancy?
- How to Manage Brown Discharge During Pregnancy?
- What to Do If You Have a Chemical Pregnancy?
