AI Article Synopsis

  • In vitro culture of human embryos is critical for assisted reproduction, but limited focused research hinders standardization and consistent success rates.
  • Only 1.2% of relevant research papers in key reproductive journals addressed in vitro culture conditions, suggesting that optimization might have stagnated.
  • The paper advocates for advancements in embryo culture techniques, proposing the use of innovative microwell designs that balance communal and individual incubation, potentially enhancing embryo quality.

Article Abstract

Although in vitro culture of human embryos is a crucial step in assisted reproduction, the lack of focused research hampers worldwide standardisation and consistent outcomes. Only 1.2% of research papers published in five leading journals in human reproduction in 2019 focused on in vitro culture conditions, creating the impression that the optimisation process has approached its limits. On the other hand, in vitro culture of mammalian embryos is based on old principles, while there is no consensus on basic issues as density, time, medium change, gas atmosphere and small technical details including the way of drop preparation. This opinion paper aims to highlight and analyse the slow advancement in this field and stimulate research for simple and affordable solutions to meet the current requirements. A possible way for advancement is discussed in detail. Selection of embryos with the highest developmental competence requires individual culture and modification of the widely used "drop under oil" approach. Current use of three-dimensional surfaces instead of large flat bottoms is restricted to time-lapse systems, but these wells are designed for optical clarity, not for the needs of embryos. The size and shape of the original microwells (Well of the Well; WOW) offer a practical and straightforward solution to combine the benefits of communal and individual incubation and improve the overall quality of cultured embryos.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8581087PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10815-021-02167-4DOI Listing

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