Embryo News and Research

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SPRK1 enzyme plays role in reorganizing the paternal genome during fertilization

A sperm enters an egg, an embryo develops and eventually a baby is born. But back up a second -- how does the mother's half-genome actually merge with the father's half-genome to form one new human genome?

13 Mar 2020

Researchers prove the ability to grow human-derived blood vessels in a pig

A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School recently proved the ability to grow human-derived blood vessels in a pig--a novel approach that has the potential for providing unlimited human vessels for transplant purposes.

11 Mar 2020

'Primitive' stem cells shown to replace and repair damaged blood vessels in the retina

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have successfully turned back the biological hands of time, coaxing adult human cells in the laboratory to revert to a primitive state, and unlocking their potential to replace and repair damage to blood vessels in the retina caused by diabetes.

9 Mar 2020

Personalized approach in IVF increases success rate

Becoming pregnant can be a lengthy and stressful process for one in every six couples. As fertility treatment protocols are based on the "average woman", approximately 30 per cent of patients need a personalised approach in IVF.

4 Mar 2020

New tool shows potential to predict developmental toxicity in humans with high accuracy

Recently published results from an evaluation of 1,065 chemical and drug substances using the devTOX quickPredict (devTOXqP) screening platform developed by Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc. demonstrated the platform's ability to predict developmental toxicity in humans with high accuracy using a cell-based test.

3 Mar 2020

Novel technique helps trace individual chromosomes during embryonic development

The spatial arrangement of genetic material within the cell nucleus plays an important role in the development of an organism.

28 Feb 2020

'Stranger Things' increased public awareness of cleidocranial dysplasia

A new study published in February 2020 in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery shows that using mainstream media to depict rare diseases in a realistic manner can prompt greater public awareness and support for such conditions.

20 Feb 2020

First baby born from frozen immature eggs matured in the lab

Cancer can take a toll on a woman’s body, with many unable to conceive after rigorous treatments. In some cases, especially for women who have no children yet, they opt for egg cell freezing so they can still become pregnant after treatment. Now, for the first time, a woman has given birth to a baby from frozen immature eggs harvested from her five years ago.

19 Feb 2020

First transplant of deceased donor's uterus in Sweden

The Swedish team responsible for uterine transplantation research has, for the first time, transplanted a uterus from a deceased donor. The operation proceeded without complications and the recipient is doing well.

18 Feb 2020

Slightly increased risk of death for babies conceived by IVF

A new study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility in February 2020 reports a higher risk for mortality in children who were conceived by the in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique followed by freezing of the embryos, compared to those naturally conceived, but only in the first few weeks of life.

18 Feb 2020

UQ researchers reverse reproductive aging process in mice

Researchers have lifted fertility rates in older female mice with small doses of a metabolic compound that reverses the aging process in eggs, offering hope for some women struggling to conceive.

12 Feb 2020

Macrophages migrate from the blood to attack brain tissue shortly after stroke

Macrophages are part of the innate immune system and essential for brain development and function. Using a novel method, scientists from Jena University Hospital, the University of Bonn and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York (USA) succeeded in visualizing macrophages that were formed in the bone marrow.

11 Feb 2020

Pioneering project on genomic edition through CRISPR/Cas9 to study early embryonic development

Characterization studies of early embryonic development are limited, mainly due to the lack of samples and the obvious legal and ethical limitations.

11 Feb 2020

Study explores how some mammals postpone development of their embryos

How do some mammals postpone the development of their embryos to await better conditions for having offspring? A recent study at the UW Medicine Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine explored this reproductive enigma, which can occur in more than 130 species of mammals as well as in some marsupials.

10 Feb 2020

Growing eggs and sperm to treat infertility

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have reported, in the journal Cell Reports, the mechanism of how the very early precursor or stem cells which eventually give rise to the germ cells, eggs and sperm, are formed over the course of development. This could help create eggs and sperms under laboratory conditions to help infertile people who don’t have sperms, or eggs, for instance.

9 Feb 2020

Study provides new insight into the regenerative capacity of mammalian embryos

A calf was born from an embryo lacking cells which form a large part of the placenta, providing new insight into the regenerative capacity of mammalian embryos.

9 Feb 2020

Longer commute time associated with greater exposure to carcinogens in car seats

The longer your commute, the more you're exposed to a chemical flame retardant that is a known carcinogen and was phased out of furniture use because it required a Proposition 65 warning label in California.

7 Feb 2020

Making it all work: brain-dependent immune activation in embryos

How does the immune system develop its functionality? This has been an ongoing area of research for biologists. Now, a new study published in the journal NPJ Regenerative Medicine in February 2020 shows that in very early fetal life the brain must signal directions to the developing immune system to help it defend the body from infectious agents. This signaling markedly improves the capability of the embryo to survive when faced with bacterial infection.

4 Feb 2020

Regenerative biology could be used to restore mucus production, shows study

Mucus is a protective, slimy secretion produced by goblet cells and which lines organs of the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. Slime production is essential to health, and an imbalance can be life-threatening.

31 Jan 2020

A new study reveals the secrets of mucus production that could be applied to cancer biology

The cells that produce mucus are known to be involved in serious health conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even cancer.

31 Jan 2020