Background: A prerequisite for successful embryo implantation is adequate preparation of receptive endometrium and the establishment and maintenance of a viable embryo. The success of implantation further relies upon a two-way dialogue between the embryo and uterus. However, molecular bases of these preimplantation and implantation processes in humans are not well known. Materials and Methods: ...

The demand for effective bio-preservation methods in the medical community continues to increase with advances in transplantation and transfusion medicine [1]. In reproductive medicine, pre-implantation embryo cryopreservation has become an integral component of overall patient care, increasing the success rate per oocyte retrieval cycle [2,3]. Oocyte cryopreservation is becoming increasingly i...

Background Melatonin (N-acetyl-5- methoxytryptamine) is mainly synthesized and secreted in the pineal gland, ovary, testes, bone marrow, retina and lens in mammalian species. It is involved in the detoxification of ROS and protects embryos from oxidative damage. Melatonin acts as a potential free radical scavenger, including peroxyl radical and hydroxyl radical. In addition, it can stimulate th...

background: little is understood about the regulation of gene expression during early goat embryo development. this study investigated the expression profile of 19 genes, known to be critical for early embryo development in mouse and human, at five different stages of goat in vitro embryo development (oocyte, 8-16 cell, morula, day-7 blastocyst, and day 14 blastocyst). materials and methods: st...

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is an established alternative to prenatal testing for couples at risk of transmitting genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis (CF).PGD screens pre-implantation embryos, allowing the safe transfer of those identified as unaffected. Awareness of CF carrier status in Ireland is increasing following the introduction of neonatal screening in 2011. PGD is th...

Developmental biologists have become increasingly aware that the wealth of knowledge generated through genetic studies of pre-implantation mouse development might not easily be translated to the human embryo. Comparative studies have been fueled by recent technological advances in single-cell analysis, allowing in-depth analysis of the human embryo. This field could shortly gain more momentum a...

Animal oviducts and human Fallopian tubes are a part of the female reproductive tract that hosts fertilization and pre-implantation development of the embryo. With an increasing understanding of roles of the oviduct at the cellular and molecular levels, current research signifies the importance of the oviduct on naturally conceived fertilization and pre-implantation embryo development. This rev...

Background: Vitrification and warming of blastocysts is an established procedure for the preservation of embryos during IVF. Vitrification is so successful that it allows for elective single embryo transfer (eSET) to be performed routinely, since the frozen embryos will be available with high implantation potential if the fresh embryo fails. Comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) is also a pr...