Patent ID: 7858308

Claim:
A method of identifying human oocytes that are capable of giving rise to a viable pregnancy when fertilized comprising the following steps: (i) obtaining at least one cumulus cell associated with an oocyte; (ii) assaying the expression of at least one gene by said at least one cumulus cell, the expression of which correlates to the capability of an oocyte associated with said cumulus cell to yield a viable pregnancy upon fertilization and transferal into a suitable uterine environment; and (iii) identifying, based on the level of expression of said at least one gene by said cumulus cell, whether said oocyte is potentially capable of yielding a viable pregnancy upon fertilization and transferal into a suitable uterine environment and wherein said at least one gene identified includes a gene selected from the group consisting of arginine methyl transferase (PRMT5), B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2), and beta actin gene (ACTB), that is expressed on average at elevated amounts in cumulus cells derived from oocytes that give rise to viable progeny versus those which do not and determining based on the level of expression of said at least one gene whether to use said oocyte in an in vitro fertilization(IVF) procedure.