Extend Fertility’s chief scientific officer Dr. Nataki Douglas’ new published research shows that retinoic acid from vitamin A is necessary for an embryo to implant and continue developing.

At our busy fertility clinic in New York City, or clinical team and fertility advisors work hard to help you achieve your family building goals, but the job doesn’t stop there. Behind the scenes and in between meeting with patients and performing procedures, Extend Fertility’s board-certified reproductive endocrinologists are hard at work conducting research to inform their decision-making when working with patients hoping to conceive or to pursue egg freezing, as well as to help shape the future of fertility care. Remember that recently published research study that proved thaw survival and pregnancy rates are high for patients who return to use their frozen eggs to get pregnant? That was us!

Nataki Douglas, MD, PhD, who’s been the chief scientific officer at Extend since March 2024, is a physician-scientist who studies what the uterus needs for successful embryo implantation and pregnancy. Her research particularly focuses on the endometrium, the lining of the uterus.

“As clinicians and scientists, we don’t fully understand all the detailed processes that help the uterus prepare for an embryo to attach and support a healthy pregnancy,” Dr. Douglas says. “We’re studying how the uterus prepares and maintains itself during pregnancy because we want to understand why some pregnancies fail to implant or are lost in the first trimester before the placenta forms.”

Dr. Douglas’ latest research was published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), a peer-reviewed medical journal. Conducted at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, the research focuses on vitamin A and its role in the endometrium both before and after embryo implantation. It provides insight into implantation failures and early pregnancy loss.

Here are three key takeaways from Dr. Douglas’ research, and what this means for you if you’re trying to get pregnant:

VITAMIN A IS CRUCIAL FOR A HEALTHY PREGNANCY

A substance made from vitamin A called retinoic acid helps with cell growth and helps the immune system work properly. (Note that vitamin A is not naturally produced in the body and is only found in foods). Dr. Douglas’ research found that both the embryo and endometrium require retinoic acid for pregnancy success; it helps prepare the body for pregnancy and keeps it progressing properly.

TIMING OF RETINOIC ACID “SIGNALING” MATTERS IN EARLY PREGNANCY

Using mouse models, the researchers concluded that before the embryo attaches to the endometrial lining, retinoic acid signals – which essentially help organs and tissues develop – are necessary for implantation. After the embryo implants, these signals ensure that blood vessels in the uterine lining grow properly to support the pregnancy. If these signals are blocked, this results in a pregnancy loss.

RETINOIC ACID PLAYS VARIOUS ROLES IN THE UTERINE LINING

In studies with human cells, Dr. Douglas and her co-authors found that retinoic acid signaling is required for initiating the changes in endometrial cells – also called decidualization of endometrial stromal cells – that are needed for the endometrium to support pregnancy. However, once these cellular changes have occurred blocking retinoic acid signaling does not reverse them.

“The main takeaway from this study is that retinoic acid, a substance derived from vitamin A, plays a crucial and timing-specific role in preparing the uterus for pregnancy and ensuring the pregnancy continues,” Dr. Douglas notes. “This research provides insights into potential causes of implantation failure and early pregnancy loss in women.

Keep in mind this study is not about oral supplements; it’s about what cells in the endometrium need. Research like this helps physicians understand why some pregnancies fail to implant or are lost early on.

So, what does this mean for you if you’re trying to conceive? Continue taking your prenatal vitamins before you conceive and during pregnancy, and support research on infertility.

Check out Dr. Douglas’ full research study on retinoic acid and pregnancy HERE.

To book your initial consult or a fertility assessment with Dr. Douglas or any of our providers whether you’re trying to conceive ASAP or thinking about freezing your eggs, reach out to Extend Fertility. Extend Fertility is one of the largest providers or egg freezing (cryopreservation) in the country, and we’d love to help you achieve your family building goals.