Embryo News and Research

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US scientists make advances in modifying human embryos

American Scientists have managed to edit and improve the DNA of human embryos in an effort to correct the gene defects that cause inherited diseases.

27 Jul 2017

CU Boulder study sheds new light on mechanism behind radiation-induced bystander effect

More than half of cancer patients undergo radiotherapy, in which high doses of radiation are aimed at diseased tissue to kill cancer cells.

19 Jul 2017

Study provides insights into intergenerational inheritance of epigenetic information

We are more than the sum of our genes. Epigenetic mechanisms modulated by environmental cues such as diet, disease or our lifestyle take a major role in regulating the DNA by switching genes on and off.

18 Jul 2017

Scientists reveal key role of TLK2 gene in placenta development, embryo viability in mice

The placenta, a transient organ that links the developing embryo to its mother, is responsible for nutrient, waste and gas exchange between the fetus and the mother.

17 Jul 2017

Cellular antennae play key role in muscle-to-fat transformation

Like it or not, as we age, our muscle cells are slowly exchanged, one by one, for fat cells. This process quickens when we injure a muscle, and an extreme form of this process is also seen in muscle-wasting diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

13 Jul 2017

Scientists reveal role of cellular prion protein in development of NF2-related tumors

New research published today, 10th July 2017, online in the journal Oncogene could offer hope to the thousands of, mainly young, people affected by the hereditary condition Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2).

10 Jul 2017

Maternal consumption of alcohol could produce transgenerational effects

Soon-to-be mothers have heard the warning - don't drink while pregnant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued numerous statements about the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, as it can lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in newborns.

7 Jul 2017

Novel technique analyzes sperm morphology and motility in embryo formation process

The research, presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual conference, which ends today in Geneva, Switzerland, describes for the first time the use of an experimental technique that has made it possible to analyze the functioning of human sperm in contact with the cytoplasmic content of the eggs in vitro.

7 Jul 2017

Study reveals higher number of eggs as determinants of IVF success

A higher number of eggs retrieved in an IVF treatment cycle is independently associated with more chromosomally normal embryos available for transfer, according to a new Australian study.

4 Jul 2017

Increase in male partner’s age associated with decline in cumulative live birth rate, study finds

A new study of IVF couples, conducted in the USA, finds the effects of the age of male partners in cumulative live birth outcomes. The results clearly state that there can be a significant reduction in the chances of live births owing to the increased age of the male partner, also seen with certain younger female age groups whose age has less potency on the effects.

3 Jul 2017

Live birth outcome affected by age of male partner, study shows

Men, unlike women, do not have a menopause or a predictable and detectable decline in their fertility. Female age is thus the dominant factor in predicting (or explaining) a couple's chance of conception, whether natural or assisted.

3 Jul 2017

Study uncovers mechanism underlying nerve cell organization in the spinal cord of developing embryo

Scientists have uncovered how nerve cells in the spinal cord are organized in precise patterns during embryo development - a finding that could give insight into regenerative medicine.

29 Jun 2017

Human colon organoids fill gap in effectively modeling common GI diseases

Scientists used human pluripotent stem cells to generate human embryonic colons in a laboratory that function much like natural human tissues when transplanted into mice, according to research published June 22 in Cell Stem Cell.

22 Jun 2017

Cryopreservation of Embryos to Improve Assisted Reproductive Technology

If we were to compare the progression of cryopreservation technology during recent years, we would find that from 2004 to 2013 over a timeframe of a decade, there has been around a 2.5 times increase in the rate of frozen-thawed embryo transfers (FETs) that were reported to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). While the rate of fresh embryo transfers (ET) that were completed was the same.

From Sofia Hospital of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine 19 Jun 2017

Researchers bioengineer human liver tissues that mimic natural development

An international team of researchers bioengineering human liver tissues uncovered previously unknown networks of genetic-molecular crosstalk that control the organ's developmental processes – greatly advancing efforts to generate healthy and usable human liver tissue from human pluripotent stem cells.

15 Jun 2017

Study suggests human embryos not susceptible to dying early as often claimed

How difficult is it to conceive? According to a widely-held view, fewer than one in three embryos make it to term, but a new study from a researcher at the University of Cambridge suggests that human embryos are not as susceptible to dying in the first weeks after fertilization as often claimed.

13 Jun 2017

Researchers uncover molecule in newborn hearts that appears to control renewal process

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, yet the few available treatments are still mostly unsuccessful once the heart tissue has suffered damage.

9 Jun 2017

Researchers explore sea urchin protein to understand self-assembly of skeletal structures

Calcium carbonate, or CaCO3, comprises more than 4% of the earth's crust. Its most common natural forms are chalk, limestone, and marble, produced by the sedimentation of the shells of small fossilized snails, shellfish, and coral over millions of years.

8 Jun 2017

Stowers scientists provide evidence of cross-talk between Nanog and Hox genes

Competing regulatory genes "talk" to each other to maintain balance of cell state, according to new research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

6 Jun 2017

Follistatin plays key role in embryo implantation

Looking to improve the success rate of assisted reproductive technologies, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine investigated in more detail the mechanism involved in successful embryo implantation, an essential component of female fertility.

2 Jun 2017