Physiological Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (PICSI)

Hyaluronic acid (or hyaluronan) forms a natural and primary component of the cell complex surrounding a woman’s egg, acting as a discriminating barrier to defective sperm and allowing only those with a hyaluronan-specific receptor to pass. Although it is no guarantee of quality, a sperm’s ability to bind with hyaluronan is a reliable indicator of its maturity and DNA integrity. In PICSI, which may be viewed as an extension of ICSI, a sperm bearing the hyaluronan-specific receptor is injected directly into the egg, improving the probability of pregnancy and reducing the likelihood of miscarriage.