Patent ID: 7097984

Claim:
A method for testing viability of an oocyte from a woman, comprising: extracting at least one oocyte; administering brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF to the oocyte under condition at which the brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF binds to a brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF receptors on the oocyte; washing the oocyte to remove any excess, unbound brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF; administering monoclonal antibodies with a related specific binding affinity for brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF under conditions at which the monoclonal antibodies bind to the bound brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF on the oocyte; washing the oocytes to remove any unbound monoclonal antibodies; and measuring bound monoclonal antibodies, wherein the presence of bound monoclonal antibodies indicative of brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF bound to the oocyte is a positive prognosticator of oocyte viability and the absence of bound monoclonal antibody indicative of brain derived neurotrophic factor, NT-4/5, or NGF bound to the oocyte is a negative prognosticator of oocyte viability.