Our solution to infertility
The MatriceLab UTIMPRO test is a medical device manufactured by MatriceLab that uses biomarkers to provide a better understanding of the immunological state of the endometrium and propose a treatment to restore uterine balance and enhance embryo implantation. The endometrial biopsy is performed in consultation with your reproductive physician. Within three weeks, the results are available along with new therapeutic alternatives for a successful embryo transfer.
This in vitro diagnostic medical device is a regulated health product that bears, under this regulation, the CE marking
Our approach
Over more than 20 years of academic research, we have developed a diagnostic test based on the analysis of several biomarkers. The identification of immunological markers specific to the endometrium during the implantation window allows us to:
Understand the immune mechanism(s) responsible for implantation failures
Better adapt future attempts at assisted reproduction by restoring the immune balance.
The purpose of determining the uterine immune profile of each patient is to understand the mechanisms that may have contributed to implantation failures or miscarriages. Based on these analyses, we propose to physicians the most appropriate therapeutic strategy for each patient. Our test establishes a uterine immune profile for each patient in an effort to understand the mechanisms that may have contributed to implantation failures or miscarriages. Our studies show a 40% to 50% birth rate, following the application of the proposed treatment, at the next embryo transfer after the MatriceLab test.*
Why testing your uterine receptivity immune analysis?
You will find below a table of birth rates following the application of the therapeutic recommendations proposed by MatriceLab Innove. The results were obtained from a cohort of 1811 women who had failed to implant their embryos in IVF or had repeated miscarriages.
Among these women we found a deregulation of the immune environment in 81.5% of cases. The second table compares the results of the patients with immune overactivation who made an attempt directly after their result with those with immune overactivation who, before making a new attempt, checked the effectiveness of the treatment (by carrying out a biopsy with the proposed treatment). For the latter, depending on the results of this second biopsy, the treatment could be adjusted.
Deregulation of the immune environment
Patients with immune over-activation
Who is MatriceLab for?
This approach is intended for women who have experienced failure of the ART/IVF process or after repeated miscarriages:
Women who have failed after IVF/ICSI or donor IVF (eggs or sperm) attempts (implantation failures)
Women who have had several unexplained miscarriages
The test
Before the testMatriceLab Innove sends all the necessary material directly to the physician at his request. The material is sent once a week on wednesdays. Different documents will have to be filled out and/or signed (you can find them at the bottom). It is essential to take the time to fill in this information correctly in order to avoid any delay in the processing of the analyses and to have a personalized result. We remind you that all shipments must contain negative results of HIV, hepatitis B and C serologies dating back less than one year to the day of the biopsy. These results are essential to justify the non-infectious nature of the shipment and to allow the analyses to begin. In the case of patients immunized for hepatitis B, results less than 5 years old are accepted.
Endometrial biopsy« The tissue that spontaneously leaves at the time of menstruation, the endometrium, is collected to analyze the local immunological balance at the key moment when the uterus is preparing for a possible implantation. The endometrial biopsy is performed by your reproductive doctor. This biopsy should be performed on a mock cycle, one week after the beginning of the progesterone. After a vaginal ultrasound, a suction pipette is inserted into the uterus (Cornier pipette). Once the pipette is inside the uterus, the suction rod is activated and a small back and forth movement is made in the endometrium to suck some of it out. The biopsy lasts about 1 minute and may cause pain similar to menstruation. Rest assured, the pain does not last. We accompany doctors to give them the best advice to perform this biopsy without pain.»
Dr Nathalie Ledee
After the biopsySamples and documents must be sent to the MatriceLab Innove laboratory by post in the provided envelopes, or by specialized carrier for patients with cured hepatitis. We recommend shipping quickly so that the biopsy arrives within 48 hours. We also recommend avoiding end-of-week shipments (Thursday/Friday/Saturday) or the day before a public holiday and storing the sample (in its packaging) in the refrigerator (+4°C).
Your results will be sent to you by mail within 3 weeks (delays may be extended in case of closure of the laboratory or due to the health crisis: info on our facebook page) from the date of receipt of the biopsy. Your doctor will also receive a more detailed report with recommendations for the treatment to be implemented for your next attempt. We invite you to contact your doctor if you have any questions regarding the interpretation of your results and the proposed treatment strategy.
The MatriceLab kit contains
- 1 small tube of RNAlater
- 1 plastic bag
- 1 absorbent paper
- 1 label
- 1 transport box
- 1 envelope for MatriceLab Innove
- 1 patient file
- 1 MLI receptivity assessment form
- 1 prescription
- 1 consent form
- 1 patient confidentiality policy
Fees
The cost of the analyses performed by MatriceLab Innove is not reimbursed by the Social Security and is therefore entirely at the expense of the couple or the patient (see table opposite).
However, we encourage you to contact your complementary health insurance for a possible reimbursement. An invoice will be sent by email within 3 weeks from the date of receipt of the biopsy indicating the amount due for the analyses to be paid to MatriceLab Innove by bank transfer. If the sample cannot be interpreted (wrong phase of the cycle, insufficient quantity or quality…), the analyses will not be invoiced. It will then be necessary to make another appointment with your doctor.
The therapeutic follow-up assessment rate applies only to biopsies performed with the treatment proposed in MatriceLab Innove and carried out within 6 months of the first biopsy (initial assessment) and in the absence of uterine surgical procedure or pregnancy.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The UTIMPROtest is an in vitro diagnostic medical device manufactured by MatriceLab that determines the uterine immune profile and allows for a significant increase in expected birth rates following the application of therapeutic recommendations, at the first embryo transfer following the test. (29.7% vs. 41.4%; OR: 1.68 [1.04-2.73], p=0.036; Lédée et al; Frontiers 2025).
The test provides information on the presence and activity of immune cells necessary for future embryo implantation, documenting whether the condition of the endometrium is favorable to implantation. We assess whether the endometrium is ready for adhesion and whether the immunological response required for implantation is appropriate to allow invasion without rejection, thereby helping to understand the mechanisms underlying implantation failures, whether due to a deficiency or, conversely, locally excessive immunological activity.The UTIMPROtest can be performed as an initial assessment but also as an assessment under therapuetics recommendations (see “And after?”)
This test is specifically aimed at:
- Embryo implantation failures (no implantation despite the transfer of several good quality embryos) with their own oocytes or from donations;
- Recurrent miscarriages (more than 3 miscarriages).
The UTIMPROtest requires an endometrial biopsy performed by your gynecologist with the sampling kit provided by MATRICELAB INNOVE. It must be carried out precisely in the middle of the implantation window (this is the moment when the embryo can attach to the endometrium)during a cycle with no embryo transfer, attempted pregnancy, or intrauterine procedure(biopsy, operative hysteroscopy …) during the luteal phase of either the previous cycle or of the biopsy cycle (except for diagnostic hysteroscopy in the proliferative phase without biopsy) and no use of anti-inflammatory drugs or any other treatment (except for background/ maintenance treatment for a chronic or genetic condition).
You can discuss this with your gynecologist. If they agree to support you, they simply need to contact us to obtain the kit. If your gynecologist does not wish to perform this examination, we can refer you to other gynecologists near you with whom we work. In this case, simply contact us by email, specifying your region, and we will send you the relevant list. We do not perform biopsies in our laboratory.
Requests for equipment can only be made by your gynecologist or their secretary, either by email or through our website. Please include your full postal address (floor, department, etc.) and a telephone number. The equipment, along with all necessary documents for the biopsy, is sent out every Wednesday (last request processed by Tuesday at 5 PM).
This procedure involves a biopsy of the endometrial lining. Using a Cornier pipelle (not included in the kit), the gynecologist will aspirate a sample of your endometrium and place it in a tube of RNAlater (provided by MatriceLab). This very quick procedure may be painful at the time. We therefore encourage you to discuss this with your doctor beforehand.
The biopsy must be performed precisely in the middle of the implantation window. We recommend performing the biopsy during a mock cycle one week after introducing progesterone, regardless of your cycle regularity, in order to have better control of the cycle phase at the time of the biopsy and better reliability of the results. This does not necessarily mean that your next transfer will be on a substituted cycle.
In the case of biopsy during a natural cycle or under stimulation, please contact us if your period starts less than 4 days after the biopsy.
If the biopsy was not performed according to the recommendations defined above, the analysis cannot be carried out (see section “My biopsy could not be analyzed, what should I do?”). This is why we strongly recommend performing the biopsy during a substituted cycle, as nearly 3% of biopsies performed during a natural cycle cannot be analyzed because the biopsy was not taken midway through the implantation window*, forcing patients to repeat the biopsy. *Real-life data internal to MatriceLab INNOVE
At the end of the consultation, the doctor will give you the envelope, to be stamped at the current rate and send to the address indicated above (make sure it is up to date). It is not possible to drop off a sample at the laboratory, as access is restricted to staff and carriers. The shipment must be made via the postal service or a specialized carriers (for patients with cured hepatitis B). The shipment should be made the same day if possible, and, if outside Metropolitan France, should ideally reach us within 48 hours (expect to use expedited shipping). The shipping day must be a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday (excluding French public holidays). Outside of these days, please store at 4°C. Do not send by registered mail with signature confirmation or by courier requiring a signature. In case of a heatwave, you can put a cooling pack on it (do not freeze).
The “MatriceLAB Innove” envelope must contain:
- The box containing the sachet with the biopsy tube (labeled with your name, surname and date of birth)
- The completed “information sheet” for MatriceLAB Innove
- The prescription with the consent form signed by you and your doctor
- A copy of the HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C serology results, less than one year old on the day of the biopsy, signed by the medical biologist
You will find the current price list below :
The provisional invoice (along with our bank details) will be sent to you by email approximately 2 to 3 weeks after we receive your biopsy. You can pay in installments by bank transfer or check; please contact us upon receipt of the invoice to arrange this. The paid invoice will be sent to you along with your results so you can claim reimbursement from your health insurance provider.
You will receive your results by mail within 3 weeks from the date we receive the biopsy with the complete file, provided that payment has been made in the meantime.This timeframe is extended during the Christmas and Easter holidays and in August (see the Contact section for details). A copy of this report, along with any treatment recommendations, will be sent to your doctor. We advise you to contact them for interpretation of the results and implementation of the proposed treatment strategies.
Depending on the results of the initial assessment, it may be relevant to conduct an assessment under therapuetics recommendations in order to verify the effectiveness of the therapeutic recommendations. This follow-up biopsy should be performed between 2 and 6 months after the first one, before embryo transfer, or in the event of a failed pregnancy after transfer. If a miscarriage or pregnancy termination occurs after the initial assessment, we recommend repeating the initial assessment while the patient is still undergoing treatment.
The next IVF attempt can be considered between 2 months (including the time it takes to receive the results and, in some cases, the treatments that need to be carried out before IVF) and 6 months after the biopsy. The uterine immune status is likely to vary throughout life and can be influenced by many factors. The current uterine immune profile is therefore valid for the next 6 months in the absence of uterine intervention or pregnancy. Beyond that, it will need to be updated to guide the personalization of attempts.
In the unlikely event that the biopsy cannot be analyzed (<5% of cases)*, this analysis will not be charged. You will need to schedule another appointment with your doctor to have a new biopsy performed, allowing a full menstrual cycle to pass.The limits and recommendations are stipulated in the documents sent to the doctor.Performing a biopsy (like any intrauterine procedure or operative hysteroscopy) in the luteal phase leads to changes in the immune environment during the following cycle.When a second biopsy is performed one month after the first, the analyzed results reflect the effect of the previous month’s biopsy, which may lead to an error in the suggested treatment plan. *Real-life data internal to MatriceLab INNOVE
In the event that you have been prescribed several tests involving a biopsy, we recommend carrying out these tests beforehand and then letting a full cycle pass before performing the biopsy for the UTIMPROtest. Performing a biopsy (like any intrauterine procedure or operative hysteroscopy) in the luteal phase leads to changes in the immune environment during the following cycle. When a second biopsy is performed one month after the first, the analyzed results reflect the effect of the previous month’s biopsy, which may lead to errors in the suggested treatment plan.