Scientists have edited human embryos for the first time in the UK to discover a “master gene” that underpins successful pregnancies. The “game-changing” research promises improved IVF outcomes and a breakthrough in understanding why so many pregnancies fail.

科學家首次在英國對人類胚胎進行編輯，他們發現了一種為妊娠成功奠定基礎的“主導基因”。這項“劃時代”的研究有望提高體外受精成功率，并有助于了解很多人妊娠失敗的原因。

The Government-funded investigation, undertaken by the Francis Crick Institute, is the first to prove that gene editing can be used to study the genetic behavior of human embryos in their first few days of life.

弗蘭西斯克里克研究所在政府的資助下進行了這項研究，首次證明可以利用基因編輯研究人類胚胎發育最初階段的遺傳行為。

By removing a gene which produces a protein called OCT4, the team discovered it was crucial to a viable pregnancy.

通過移除一種名為OCT4的蛋白質生成基因，研究團隊發現，該基因正是成功妊娠的關鍵。

As well as its potential for more successful IVF, the discovery heralds a transformation in understanding the fundamental causes of infertility and miscarriage.

這一發現預示著人們對流產和不孕的根本原因的認識將發生改變，也預示著試管嬰兒的成功率可能將提高。

Approximately one in four couples are affected by fertility problems, and women under 35 currently have just a 32.2 percent chance of a live birth from one round of IVF.

大約有1/4的夫婦受不孕不育的困擾，目前，35歲以下的女性單次體外受精生下活胎的幾率只有32.2%。

The odds decrease to 27.7 for women aged 35 to 37, and to 20.8 percent for those aged 38 and 39.

35歲到37歲之間的女性單次體外受精生下活胎的幾率則下降到27.7%，而38、39歲的女性則下降到20.8%。

Dr Kathy Niakan, who led the research, said: “One way to find out what a gene does in the developing embryo is to see what happens when it isn’t working.

該研究的領頭人凱西?尼亞肯博士表示：“想要了解一種基因對發育中胚胎的影響，方法之一就是看當它失效時會發生什么。”

“Now we have demonstrated an efficient way of doing this, we hope that other scientists will use it to find out the roles of other genes.

“現在，我們已經證明這種方法的有效性，我們希望其他科學家也能在研究其他基因的作用時使用這種方法。”

“If we knew the key genes that embryos need to develop successfully, we could improve IVF treatments and understand some causes of pregnancy failure.”

“如果我們了解了胚胎成功發育所需的關鍵基因，那么我們就可以提高試管嬰兒技術，并搞清楚導致妊娠失敗的一些原因。”

The scientists, who studied 41 human embryos donated by IVF patients, used the gene-editing tool Crispr/Cas9 to make precise cuts in DNA and deactivate OCT4.

科學家們對接受體外受精的患者捐獻的41個人類胚胎進行了研究，使用Crispr/Cas9基因編輯工具精準地切割DNA，令OCT4基因失效。

They found OCT4 appeared to be necessary for an embryo to become a blastocyst, a tiny ball of 200 cells that arises a week after conception and marks a key point in embryonic development.

他們發現OCT4基因似乎是胚胎發育成囊胚的必要因素，囊胚是由200個細胞組成的小球體，在受精后一周左右開始出現，是胚胎發育的關鍵節點。

Only when an embryo successfully reaches the blastocyst stage does it stand any chance of implanting in the womb.

只有當胚胎成功進入囊胚期，才有可能植入子宮中。

The study, published in the journal Nature, found fewer than a fifth of the test embryos reached the blastocyst stage without OCT4.

這項發表在《自然》雜志上的研究發現，當缺乏OCT4基因時，進入囊胚期的實驗胚胎不到1/5。

Scientists have edited human embryos for the first time in the UK to discover a “master gene” that underpins successful pregnancies. The “game-changing” research promises improved IVF outcomes and a breakthrough in understanding why so many pregnancies fail.

科學家首次在英國對人類胚胎進行編輯，他們發現了一種為妊娠成功奠定基礎的“主導基因”。這項“劃時代”的研究有望提高體外受精成功率，并有助于了解很多人妊娠失敗的原因。

The Government-funded investigation, undertaken by the Francis Crick Institute, is the first to prove that gene editing can be used to study the genetic behavior of human embryos in their first few days of life.

弗蘭西斯克里克研究所在政府的資助下進行了這項研究，首次證明可以利用基因編輯研究人類胚胎發育最初階段的遺傳行為。

By removing a gene which produces a protein called OCT4, the team discovered it was crucial to a viable pregnancy.

通過移除一種名為OCT4的蛋白質生成基因，研究團隊發現，該基因正是成功妊娠的關鍵。

As well as its potential for more successful IVF, the discovery heralds a transformation in understanding the fundamental causes of infertility and miscarriage.

這一發現預示著人們對流產和不孕的根本原因的認識將發生改變，也預示著試管嬰兒的成功率可能將提高。

Approximately one in four couples are affected by fertility problems, and women under 35 currently have just a 32.2 percent chance of a live birth from one round of IVF.

大約有1/4的夫婦受不孕不育的困擾，目前，35歲以下的女性單次體外受精生下活胎的幾率只有32.2%。

The odds decrease to 27.7 for women aged 35 to 37, and to 20.8 percent for those aged 38 and 39.

35歲到37歲之間的女性單次體外受精生下活胎的幾率則下降到27.7%，而38、39歲的女性則下降到20.8%。

Dr Kathy Niakan, who led the research, said: “One way to find out what a gene does in the developing embryo is to see what happens when it isn’t working.

該研究的領頭人凱西?尼亞肯博士表示：“想要了解一種基因對發育中胚胎的影響，方法之一就是看當它失效時會發生什么。”

“Now we have demonstrated an efficient way of doing this, we hope that other scientists will use it to find out the roles of other genes.

“現在，我們已經證明這種方法的有效性，我們希望其他科學家也能在研究其他基因的作用時使用這種方法。”

“If we knew the key genes that embryos need to develop successfully, we could improve IVF treatments and understand some causes of pregnancy failure.”

“如果我們了解了胚胎成功發育所需的關鍵基因，那么我們就可以提高試管嬰兒技術，并搞清楚導致妊娠失敗的一些原因。”

The scientists, who studied 41 human embryos donated by IVF patients, used the gene-editing tool Crispr/Cas9 to make precise cuts in DNA and deactivate OCT4.

科學家們對接受體外受精的患者捐獻的41個人類胚胎進行了研究，使用Crispr/Cas9基因編輯工具精準地切割DNA，令OCT4基因失效。

They found OCT4 appeared to be necessary for an embryo to become a blastocyst, a tiny ball of 200 cells that arises a week after conception and marks a key point in embryonic development.

他們發現OCT4基因似乎是胚胎發育成囊胚的必要因素，囊胚是由200個細胞組成的小球體，在受精后一周左右開始出現，是胚胎發育的關鍵節點。

Only when an embryo successfully reaches the blastocyst stage does it stand any chance of implanting in the womb.

只有當胚胎成功進入囊胚期，才有可能植入子宮中。

The study, published in the journal Nature, found fewer than a fifth of the test embryos reached the blastocyst stage without OCT4.

這項發表在《自然》雜志上的研究發現，當缺乏OCT4基因時，進入囊胚期的實驗胚胎不到1/5。