On the morning of October 23, 2024, at the Shanghai Science and Technology Award Conference, the research project "Innovative Research and Promotional Application of Individualized Assisted Reproductive Strategies for Recurrent Implantation Failure" led by Professor Sun Yun, Vice President of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, won the First Prize of Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award.

The incidence rate of infertility is as high as 18%, affecting more than 50 million families, which seriously impacts the fertility of the population and constitutes a major issue threatening female reproductive health and the national population development. Assisted reproductive technology is an effective means for the treatment of infertility, but 1/5 to 1/4 of patients still fail to achieve successful pregnancy after multiple assisted reproductive embryo transfer cycles, which is what we call recurrent implantation failure. Recurrent implantation failure is a bottleneck problem limiting the success rate of assisted reproductive pregnancy, but currently, there is still a lack of effective solutions.

Professor Sun Yun's team has focused on the individualized assisted reproductive strategies for recurrent implantation failure. Through years of basic research and clinical practice, the team has proposed innovative solutions. By carrying out the world's largest-scale randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical study, it has been revealed that prednisone, which is currently routinely used, does not significantly increase the live birth rate of patients with recurrent implantation failure. On the contrary, it increases the risks of pregnancy loss and premature birth, subverting the traditional clinical practice, promoting the standardized treatment in the field of assisted reproduction. The research results were published in JAMA and obtained international recognition. The team has also first proposed the new concept of "full-time course assessment of endometrial receptivity", expanding the understanding of embryo implantation, establishing the whole-process monitoring and intervention strategies for the endometrium, and significantly increasing the success rate of assisted pregnancy. The team took the lead in formulating the first national local standard for assisted reproduction, the Shanghai Standard. Through the quality control system and single embryo transfer strategy, the standard has improved the embryo implantation rate, reduced the multiple pregnancy rate, and effectively guaranteed the safety of mothers and infants. The standard has been widely promoted nationwide, greatly promoting the standardization and regularization of the field of assisted reproduction.