Tag: Peer-Reviewed Publications

A peer-reviewed narrative review published in F&S Reviews, Volume 6, Issue 1, June 2025, examining the role of environmental toxicology in impairing in vivo fertility and gamete quality prior to IVF treatment. The review evaluates how pre-IVF exposure to environmental contaminants — including heavy metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), persistent organic pollutants, and airborne contaminants including VOCs — may impair gamete potential and downstream IVF success rates. The authors provide a comprehensive reference of toxicological exposures for IVF clinicians, drawing on in vitro, animal, and human correlative data to identify potential causative mechanisms and strengthen the case for routine patient toxicological risk assessment before IVF treatment. Published in F&S Reviews, Volume 6, Issue 1, June 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.xfnr.2025.100090. Authors: Orsolini, M.; Russack, J.; Huynh, H.; Raburn, D.; Fox, J.; Schust, D.

A peer-reviewed study published in Applied In Vitro Toxicology, Volume 11, Issue 4, 2025, presenting kinetic models for predicting the transport of airborne volatile organic compounds into cell culture systems in highly sensitive in vitro processes and biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. Building on prior equilibrium partitioning modeling work, this study addresses a fundamental knowledge gap regarding the rate of VOC partitioning into cell cultures — critical for understanding how airborne contamination affects both IVF embryo culture outcomes and cell and gene therapy manufacturing processes. The models demonstrate how VOC transport rates from ambient air into culture media can be predicted and managed, with direct implications for air quality standards in IVF laboratories and biopharmaceutical cleanrooms. Published in Applied In Vitro Toxicology, Volume 11, Issue 4, 2025. Authors: Russack, J.S.; Fox, J.T.; Huynh, H.T.; Worrilow, K.C.; Brown, D.G.

A practical reference book on clean room technology in assisted reproductive technology clinics, co-authored by Dr. Kathryn C. Worrilow, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of LifeAire Systems, alongside Sandro C. Esteves and Alex C. Varghese. The book addresses the design, implementation, and management of controlled environments in IVF and ART laboratories, with coverage of air quality standards, VOC contamination control, particulate management, and the environmental factors that directly influence embryo culture outcomes and clinical success rates. Drawing on Dr. Worrilow’s more than 20 years of IVF laboratory directorship and her foundational research into the impact of ambient air on human embryogenesis, the book serves as a comprehensive resource for embryologists, laboratory directors, and ART clinic administrators seeking to optimize their facility’s environmental standard. Published via Amazon. Authors: Esteves, S.C.; Varghese, A.C.; Worrilow, K.C.