Development of a Novel Non-invasive Metabolomics Assay to Predict Implantation Potential of Human Embryos.

Can a set of metabolites present in embryo culture media correlate with embryo implantation? Case-control study in two phases: discovery phase (101 samples) and validation phase (169 samples), collected between 2018 and 2022, with a total of 218 participants. Culture media samples with known implantation outcomes were collected after blastocyst embryo transfer (including both PGT and non-PGT cycles) and were analyzed using chromatography followed by mass spectrometry. The spectra were processed and analyzed using statistical and machine learning techniques to identify biomarkers associated with embryo implantation, and to develop a predictive model.

Longitudinal profiling of human androgenotes through single-cell analysis unveils paternal gene expression dynamics in early embryo development.

Study Question: How do transcriptomics vary in haploid human androgenote embryos at single cell level in the first four cell cycles of embryo development?

Summary Answer: Gene expression peaks at the fourth cell cycle, however some androcytes exhibit unique transcriptional behaviors.

What Is Known Already: The developmental potential of an embryo is determined by the competence of the oocyte and the sperm. However, studies of the contribution of the paternal genome using pure haploid androgenotes are very scarce.

Synthesis of New Amino-Functionalized Porphyrins:Preliminary Study of Their Organophotocatalytic Activity.

The design, synthesis, and initial study of amino-functionalized porphyrins as a new class of bifunctional catalysts for asymmetric organophotocatalysis is described. Two new types of amine-porphyrin hybrids derived from 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPPH), in which a cyclic secondary amine moiety is covalently linked either to a β-pyrrolic position (Type A) or to the -position of one of the phenyl groups (Type B), were prepared by condensation, reductive amination, or amidation reactions from the suitable porphyrins (either formyl or methanamine derivatives) with readily available chiral amines. A preliminary study of the possible use of Type A amine-porphyrin hybrids as asymmetric, bifunctional organophotocatalysts was performed using the chiral, imidazolidinone-catalyzed Diels-Alder cycloaddition between cyclopentadiene 28 and -cinnamaldehyde 29 as a benchmark reaction.

Comparative single-cell transcriptomic profiles of human androgenotes and parthenogenotes during early development.

Objective: To unravel the differential transcriptomic behavior of human androgenotes (AGs) and parthenogenotes (PGs) throughout the first cell cycles, analyze the differential expression of genes related to key biologic processes, and determine the time frame for embryonic genome activation (EGA) in AGs and PGs.

Design: Laboratory study.

Setting: Private fertility clinic.

Rescuing monopronucleated-derived human blastocysts: a model to study chromosomal topography and fingerprinting.

Objective: To quantify the percentage of monopronuclear-derived blastocysts (MNBs) that are potentially useful for reproductive purposes using classic and state-of-the-art chromosome analysis approaches, and to study chromosomal distribution in the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) for intertissue/intratissue concordance comparison.

Design: Prospective experimental study.

Setting: Single-center in vitro fertilization clinic and reproductive genetics laboratory.

Segmental aneuploidy in human blastocysts: a qualitative and quantitative overview.

Background: Microarray-based and next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revealed that segmental aneuploidy is frequently present in human oocytes, cleavage-stage embryos and blastocysts. However, very little research has analyzed the type, size, chromosomal distribution and topography of the chromosomal segments at the different stages of development.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 822 PGT-A (preimplantation genetic test for aneuploidies) performed on trophectoderm samples from 3565 blastocysts biopsied between January 2016 and April 2017.

Mitochondria as a tool for oocyte rejuvenation.

Ovarian aging leads to a decrease in the quantity and quality of oocytes. Aged oocytes have significantly reduced amounts of mitochondria, the energy factories of cells, leading to lower fertilization rates and poor embryonic development. Various techniques have tried to use heterologous or autologous sources of mitochondria to reestablish oocyte health by providing more energy.

Do immature and mature sibling oocytes recovered from stimulated cycles have the same reproductive potential?

Research Question: How can laboratory and clinical outcomes of spontaneously, early maturing germinal-vesicle oocytes and sibling in-vivo-matured (metaphase II [MII]) oocytes be quantified and compared?

Design: A prospective, non-randomized intra-cohort study of oocytes from women aged 38 years or younger, with six or fewer MII oocytes and four or more germinal vesicles retrieved. No indication was identified for genetic tests or oocyte or embryo cryopreservation. The study was carried out at IVIRMA-Valencia.

Autologous mitochondrial transfer as a complementary technique to intracytoplasmic sperm injection to improve embryo quality in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-a randomized pilot study.

Objective: To study if autologous mitochondrial transfer (AUGMENT) improves outcome in patients with previously failed in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Design: Randomized, controlled, triple-blind, experimental study.

Setting: Private infertility center, Valencian Institute of Infertility (IVI-RMA), Valencia, Spain.

The model of "genetic compartments": a new insight into reproductive genetics.

Currently, we are witnessing revolutionary advances in the analytical power of genetic tools. An enormous quantity of data can now be obtained from samples; however, the translation of genetic findings to the general status of individuals, or their offspring, should be done with caution. This is especially relevant in the reproductive context, where the concepts of "transmission" and "inheritability" of a trait are crucial.

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and embryo quality assessed by time-lapse imaging (TLI): a cross-sectional observational study.

Purpose: Serum anti-Mullerian hormone shows a strong positive correlation to the quantitative ovarian reserve but its correlation to embryo quality is unclear. This study assessed the association between serum AMH as a marker of ovarian reserve and embryo quality, using the technology of time-lapse imaging of the embryos in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

Methods: 304 embryos from 198 women undergoing IVF were included in the study.

Kinetics of the early development of uniparental human haploid embryos.

Objective: To describe morphokinetically the early development of human haploid parthenotes and androgenotes and to compare them with euploid embryos.

Design: Experimental study of kinetics.

Setting: University-affiliated private fertility center.

Morphokinetic analysis and embryonic prediction for blastocyst formation through an integrated time-lapse system.

Objective: To describe the events associated with the blastocyst formation and implantation that occur in embryos during preimplantation development based on the largest sample size ever described with time-lapse monitoring.

Design: Observational, retrospective, single-center clinical study.

Setting: University-affiliated private IVF center.

Morphokinetics as a predictor of self-correction to diploidy in tripronucleated intracytoplasmic sperm injection-derived human embryos.

Objective: To describe, in morphokinetic terms, a tripronucleated embryo (TPN) population according to ploidy and to explore the value of such variables for predicting ploidy.

Design: Experimental.

Setting: In vitro fertilization laboratory.

The human first cell cycle: impact on implantation.

The morphology of fertilization events has been related to successful implantation by subjective criteria (pronuclei score, pronuclei symmetry and position). This work first described these events by time-lapse technology and then compared the timings of fertilization events (second polar body extrusion, first and second pronuclei appearance, abuttal and fading) in implanted versus nonimplanted embryos in a 2-year cohort retrospective study. A total of 1448 transferred embryos from 842 patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection with oocyte donation were monitored, 212 embryos from treatments where the number of gestational sacs matched the number of transferred embryos and 687 embryos from treatments no biochemical pregnancy was achieved.

Short-term storage of tripronucleated human embryos.

Purpose: To determine the survival and subsequent in vitro development of human cleavage stage embryos and hatched blastocysts following varying periods of short-term storage at 4 °C, using tripronucleated human embryos (TPN) as a model.

Methods: TPN cleavage embryos and hatched blastocysts short-term stored at 4 °C for 0 h (control), 24 h and 48 h. The main outcome measures were: survival rates (SR) and in vitro developmental ability (blastocyst rate and blastocyst-re-expansion rate) in each of the groups after storage.

Histone H3 phosphorylation and elimination of paternal X chromosomes at early cleavages in sciarid flies.

In sciarid flies (Diptera, Sciaridae), one or two paternally derived X chromosomes are discarded from the soma at early cleavages to determine the sex of the embryo (XX, females; X0, males). X chromosome(s) elimination is achieved by an abnormal anaphase segregation so that X sister chromatids do not reach the poles and are not included in the daughter nuclei. A cis-acting locus (CE) within the heterochromatin proximal to the centromere is known to regulate X chromosome elimination.

Spontaneous in vitro maturation of oocytes prior to ovarian tissue cryopreservation in natural cycles of oncologic patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the recovery rate and spontaneous in vitro maturation (IVM) of immature oocytes enclosed within or released from follicles during the processing of ovarian tissue prior to its cryopreservation.

Methods: Thirty-three oncologic patients who had not previously undergone chemo or radiotherapy underwent ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) during natural menstrual cycles. Immature oocytes, enclosed within follicles or released during ovarian cortex processing, were collected and matured spontaneously in vitro for 48 h.

Limited implantation success of direct-cleaved human zygotes: a time-lapse study.

Objective: To evaluate embryos with direct cleavage (≤5 hours) from two to three cells (DC2-3) and correlate this morphokinetic parameter to implantation and ongoing pregnancy.

Design: Clinical multicenter retrospective study.

Setting: Private in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers.

The dynamics of in vitro maturation of germinal vesicle oocytes.

Objective: To evaluate the dynamics of the nuclear maturation (NM) of in vitro-matured (IVM) oocytes and to determine the most favorable duration of meiosis II (MII) arrest in relation to the normal activation response.

Design: Experimental.

Setting: University-affiliated infertility clinic.

Self-correction in tripronucleated human embryos.

Objective: To explore the occurrence of ploidy and parental self-correction in tripronuclear (TPN) human embryos.

Design: Experimental.

Setting: Research facility.

Histone H3 phosphorylation and non-disjunction of the maternal X chromosome during male meiosis in sciarid flies.

An extremely unorthodox method of chromosome segregation is found in sciarid flies (Diptera, Sciaridae), where at male meiosis, the whole paternal complement is eliminated and the maternal X chromosome undergoes non-disjunction. At meiosis I, a monopolar spindle directs the segregation of maternal chromosomes to the single pole, whereas paternal chromosomes are discarded. At meiosis II, although maternal autosomes segregate normally, the X chromosome remains undivided.

From symmetric glycerol derivatives to dissymmetric chlorohydrins.

The anticipated worldwide increase in biodiesel production will result in an accumulation of glycerol for which there are insufficient conventional uses. The surplus of this by-product has increased rapidly during the last decade, prompting a search for new glycerol applications. We describe here the synthesis of dissymmetric chlorohydrin esters from symmetric 1,3-dichloro-2-propyl esters obtained from glycerol.

Spontaneous in vitro maturation and artificial activation of human germinal vesicle oocytes recovered from stimulated cycles.

Purpose: To define germinal vesicles (GV) by morphometric and morphologic examination and by chromatin compaction and to assess their spontaneous nuclear and cytoplasmic competence.

Materials: 131 GV were cultured for 42.7 ± 2.