Biological pH buffers in IVF: help or hindrance to success

Purpose Minimizing environmental stress helps maintain cellular homeostasis and is a crucial component in optimizing embryo development in vitro and resulting ART success. One stressor of particular interest is pH. Biologic buffers, such as HEPES and MOPS, are valuable tools for stabilizing pH. The objective of this manuscript is to summarize efficacy and impact of various pH buffers used during IVF lab procedures Methods Keyword searches were performed using Pubmed and Medline and relevant literature reviewed. Results Various pH buffers have been used with varying degrees of success for gamete and embryo processing in a variety of animal species, as well as in human. Conclusion Though biologic buffers off a means to improve pH stability, not all buffers may be appropriate for use with gametes and embryos. Specific buffers may have undesired effects, and these may be buffer, species, cell type or concentration dependent. Continued research is needed to further refine and improve the use of biologic buffers for use in human ART.