Embryo News and Research

RSS

New discovery of how organs form helps scientists to develop treatments for diabetes, cancer

In a new study, researchers at the University of Copenhagen show that the development of a certain type of immature stem cells - also known as progenitor cells - depends on the quantity of a special protein and interaction with other cells in the body.

14 Mar 2019

Creating increasingly complex brain organoids

Scientists improved the initial steps of a standard protocol and produced organoids displaying regionalized brain structures, including retinal pigmented cells. The announcement was published today in BMC Developmental Biology by the D'Or Institute for Research and Education's team.

8 Mar 2019

Researchers elucidate how embryonic cells and tissues respond to force

Accumulated evidence suggests that physical force plays an important role in various developmental processes of fertilized animal eggs.

8 Mar 2019

Study sheds new light on early development of embryos

By applying gene analysis to individual cells from early mouse embryos, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered previously unknown cellular stages of fetal development from fertilized egg to living being. The study is published in the scientific journal Cell Reports.

5 Mar 2019

Research on mosaic embryos gives new hope to people seeking infertility treatments

Not every embryo contains 46 perfect chromosomes. Some have more, others have fewer. The result is a common abnormality known as aneuploidy, which occurs in as many as 80 percent of human embryos.

5 Mar 2019

Nicotine could affect human embryonic development at the single-cell level

Nicotine induces widespread adverse effects on human embryonic development at the level of individual cells, researchers report February 28th in the journal Stem Cell Reports.

4 Mar 2019

Protein signaling in embryos is far more complex than previously thought

How cells in developing embryos communicate depends a great deal on context, according to scientists at Rice University.

2 Mar 2019

Second-ever case of semi-identical (sesquizygotic) twins

Doctors report on a woman who gave birth to semi-identical twins in 2014. This is the second time this is known to have occurred after the first case in 2007.

28 Feb 2019

Researchers identify origin of immune cell that helps form healthy heart valves

UCLA researchers have identified for the first time the origin of an immune cell that plays a critical role in the formation of healthy heart valves. The findings could pave the way for new treatments for heart valve disorders, which can be caused by congenital defects, aging or disease.

22 Feb 2019

Specialized lung cells appear in the developing fetus much earlier than previously thought

Specialized lung cells appear in the developing fetus much earlier than scientists previously thought. A new animal study reports how cells that become alveoli, the tiny compartments in which gas exchange occurs in the lung, begin their specialized roles very early in prenatal life.

19 Feb 2019

Fetal signaling pathways may offer future opportunities to treat lung damage

Specialized lung cells appear in the developing fetus much earlier than scientists previously thought. A new animal study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports how cells that become alveoli, the tiny compartments in which gas exchange occurs in the lung, begin their specialized roles very early in prenatal life.

18 Feb 2019

Phthalates may decrease fertility in female mice, study finds

A phthalate found in many plastic and personal care products may decrease fertility in female mice, a new study found.

8 Feb 2019

Mutations in folliculin gene affect embryo implantation

New information is unfolding on the genetic controls of an early turning point in pregnancy. As the tiny, dividing cell mass, the blastocyst, travels from the oviduct and lodges in the wall of the uterus, the cells must exit their pre-implantation state and be ready for post-implantation development.

7 Feb 2019

Oxford Nanopore launches new cDNA Kits for its sequencing technology

Oxford Nanopore has launched new '109' cDNA Kits for its real-time, scalable sequencing technology. The new kits provide high throughput whilst generating complete sequences of full-length cDNA strands, with a low input option of just 1ng PolyA+ RNA.

4 Feb 2019

Children born after fertility treatment do not have greater risk of developing cancer

Children born after assisted reproductive technology do not appear to be at greater risk of developing cancer than other children, according to the first study to look at the long-term cancer risk in ART children compared to those in the general population or who were naturally conceived by subfertile women.

4 Feb 2019

Study reveals mechanisms responsible for embryonic development in fruit flies

The first moments of life unfold with incredible precision. Now, using mathematical tools and the help of fruit flies, researchers at Princeton have uncovered new findings about the mechanisms behind this precision.

1 Feb 2019

Research provides new understanding of genome regulation in early life

After the fertilization of an egg cell, two become one; two sets of genetic information combine to form a genome. We can think of the egg and sperm as information capsules with stored instructions for starting a new life, but post fertilization, what kick starts the interpretation of these instructions?

29 Jan 2019

Nine early career scientists named 2019 recipients of the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation announced that nine scientists with novel approaches to fighting cancer have been named 2019 recipients of the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award.

24 Jan 2019

CDC study explores link between smoking and clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technology

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that smoking in the three months prior to assisted reproductive technology treatment was associated with higher adjusted odds of cycle cancellation resulting in no embryo transfer and cancellations before fresh oocyte retrieval or frozen embryo transfer.

23 Jan 2019

MAR treatments unlikely to be cause of premature or low birth weight babies

Children born through medically assisted reproduction, such as IVF, are at higher risk of being premature and to be born low birth weight, but it’s unlikely to be due to the procedures used, according to a new study published in The Lancet from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

14 Jan 2019