Methods for the culture of preimplantation human embryos evolved primarily from those used for mouse embryos. The initial method was usually culture in a single medium in microdrops of medium under oil for 2–3 days before transfer. Subsequently, extended culture over the whole preimplant ...

Culture media to support development of zygotes to the blastocyst stage is based either on a single medium or sequential (two-step) media. Single medium culture either with or without day 3 renewal is associated with simplified laboratory protocols and lower costs compared with sequenti ...

Despite the fact that the fundamental principle underlying the most common method of culture media constitution is that of mimicking the natural environment of the preimplantation embryo, one major difference that remains between current embryo culture media and in vivo conditions ...

The proper pH of media is a crucial parameter for optimizing efficacy of gamete and embryo culture. Selecting the right media pH and stabilizing this pH are important variables in minimizing intracellular stress and optimizing development. Regulation of intracellular (pHi) and extra ...

Every program of assisted reproduction strives to maximize pregnancy outcomes from in vitro fertilization and selecting an embryo culture medium, or medium pair, consistent with high success rates is key to this process. The common approach is to replace an existing medium with a new one of int ...

During preimplantation development, major epigenetic reprogramming occurs, erasing gametic modifications, and establishing embryonic epigenetic modifications. Given the plasticity of these modifications, they are susceptible to disruption by assisted reprodu ...

The incidence of monozygotic twinning in pregnancies achieved with assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is significantly higher than spontaneously conceived pregnancies. The factors associated with ART that predispose the embryos to splitting are not well-charact ...

Advancements in clinical human embryo culture over the last 30-40 years have been supported by research conducted with embryos from rodent and domestic species. The mouse has been the primary rodent species that has contributed to improved embryo culture outcomes. Numerous parameters ...

Although the mouse is widely used as an animal model for the in vitro culture of human preimplantation embryos, arguments can be made for the validity of many domestic species as more relevant, applicable models of early human development. Here, we describe the advantages and disadvantages of do ...

The main components of embryo culture media are salts, which dissociate into their component inorganic ions in aqueous solution. All embryo culture media contain the same six inorganic ions: Na+, K+, Cl-, Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO 4 2- , while most also contain PO 4 2- . The salts that are used to formulate embryo culture me ...

Nonhuman primates are the closest relatives to humans and therefore our most evolutionary close cousins. While marvelous insights are gleaned from studying rodents and other systems, it is impossible to envision how those mechanistic findings can be responsibly translated to the cli ...

The preparation of defined culture media for embryo development has progressed from simple chemically defined media based on Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate, supplemented with glucose, bovine plasma albumin, antibiotics and utilizing a CO2-bicarbonate buffering system to more co ...

Most embryo culture media are still supplemented with proteins rather than with nonprotein macromolecules or recombinant protein products. HSA is probably the most common supplement followed by globulin-enriched preparations. Serum supplementation and Co-Culture of embr ...

Amino acids are beneficial for the developing preimplantation embryo and therefore form an important component of culture media. This chapter will critically review the importance of amino acids for preimplantation embryos and the impact of this research for the development of sequ ...

Protection of embryos against oxidative insults during culture is necessary to maintain viability. Generation of excessive levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is triggered by various components of the in vitro environment, most of which embryos do not normally encounter in vivo. To c ...

Stem cells are considered as potential therapy for inflammatory disorders, tissue repair, and gene delivery, among others. The heterogeneity of a disease and the underlying disorder of a patient bring up the question on the method by which stem cells should be delivered. This summary discuss ...

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a useful method for stem cell biology, which enables us to isolate the living stem cells of interest from mixture of a variety of cells. In general, the target cells for FACS need to be labeled for various cell surface markers. However, in non-model organi ...

The balance between self-renewal and differentiation must be tightly regulated in somatic stem cells to ensure proper tissue generation and to prevent tumorlike overgrowth. A Drosophila larval brain lobe consists of the central brain and the optic lobe and possesses three well-defin ...

Stem cell-mediated tissue repair is a promising approach in regenerative medicine. Intestinal epithelium is the most rapidly self-renewing tissue in adult mammals. Recently, using lineage tracing and molecular marker labeling, intestinal stem cells (ISCs) have been identified ...

Treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have little impact on the long-term patient health. However, cellular transplants of neuroblasts derived from the aborted embryonic brain tissue in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders and in patients have demonstrated su ...