Embryo News and Research

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New genetic programs for taking blank-slate stem cells and turning them into human blood

The ability to reliably and safely make in the laboratory all of the different types of cells in human blood is one key step closer to reality.

14 Jul 2014

NANOG gene linked to tumours derived from stratified epithelia

Scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered that NANOG, an essential gene for embryonic stem cells, also regulates cell division in stratified epithelia-those that form part of the epidermis of the skin or cover the oesophagus or the vagina-in adult organisms.

10 Jul 2014

High-resolution, high-throughput pre-implantation genetic screening microarray launched by OGT

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), The Molecular Genetics Company, has announced the launch of a new high-resolution, high-throughput pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) microarray aimed at improving embryo screening for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The CytoSure™ Embryo Screen Array offers eight arrays of 60,000 spots for high-resolution genome-wide aneuploidy and copy number detection in pre-implantation embryos.

From Oxford Gene Technology 8 Jul 2014

Scientists find unexpected degree of complexity in transcriptional enhancers’ interactions

Contrary to what was thought, sequences of DNA called enhancers - which control a gene's output - find their targets long before they are activated during embryonic development, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found.

4 Jul 2014

Researchers discover new way by which metabolism is linked to regulation of DNA

A research team at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta have discovered a new way by which metabolism is linked to the regulation of DNA, the basis of our genetic code. The findings may have important implications for the understanding of many common diseases, including cancer.

4 Jul 2014

Research findings provide promising news for couples considering in-vitro fertilization

Using computer-automated, time‐lapse photography of embryos in the laboratory during in-vitro fertilization may improve embryo selection, potentially increasing the chances of pregnancy among women undergoing the procedure, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and five other fertility centers.

3 Jul 2014

Studies show increased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension in egg donation patients

With an ever-ageing female patient population, egg donation is an increasingly common treatment in infertility. ESHRE's own annual reports on fertility treatments in Europe show a rise in egg donation cycles from 15,028 in 2007 to 24,517 in 2010 (to 4.05% of all treatments). This proportion is still some way behind the USA, where egg donation now accounts for around 12% of all treatments.

2 Jul 2014

Outpatient hysteroscopy before IVF doesn't seem to improve IVF results

A large multicentre trial seems finally to have resolved one of IVF's long-running controversies - whether the outlook for women with a poor IVF record can be improved by routine hysteroscopy performed before further IVF treatment.

30 Jun 2014

Study of mutations in cell's DNA help trace its life history

Researchers have developed new methods to trace the life history of individual cells back to their origins in the fertilised egg. By looking at the copy of the human genome present in healthy cells, they were able to build a picture of each cell's development from the early embryo on its journey to become part of an adult organ.

30 Jun 2014

Animal study: Common BPA substitute alters brain development, causes hyperactive behavior

A chemical found in many "BPA free" consumer products, known as bisphenol S (BPS), is just as potent as bisphenol A (BPA) in altering brain development and causing hyperactive behavior, an animal study finds.

24 Jun 2014

Research provides unique insight into lncRNAs that regulate lung development

It's a long way from DNA to RNA to protein, and only about two percent of a person's genome is eventually converted into proteins.

19 Jun 2014

Researchers uncover key biological interaction that occurs during fertilization

Before it can fertilize an egg, a sperm has to bind to and bore through an outer egg layer known as the zona pellucida. Despite decades of research, some of the biological mechanisms behind this process remain unclear. A study in The Journal of Cell Biology now identifies the protein in the zona pellucida that sperm latch onto.

17 Jun 2014

Rice University scientists apply new theory to learn how and why cells differentiate

How does a stem cell decide what path to take? In a way, it's up to the wisdom of the crowd.

17 Jun 2014

Study examines effect of phthalate exposure in humans’ sperm epigenetics

A new three-year, $440,000 study led by environmental health scientist Richard Pilsner at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is now underway to investigate whether phthalate levels in expectant fathers have an effect on the couples' reproductive success, via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA.

12 Jun 2014

Auxogyn receives clearance from FDA for Eeva System

Auxogyn, Inc. a leader in women's reproductive health, today announced that its first product, the Eeva System, received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through its de novo classification process, a regulatory pathway for select novel, low- to moderate-risk medical devices that are first-of-a-kind.

10 Jun 2014

New insights into egg selection may have broad implications for women's health, fertility

A woman's supply of eggs is a precious commodity because only a few hundred mature eggs can be produced throughout her lifetime and each must be as free as possible from genetic damage.

30 May 2014

Female mice deprived of dietary zinc before conception experience fertility problems

Female mice deprived of dietary zinc for a relatively short time before conception experienced fertility and pregnancy problems and had smaller, less-developed fetuses than mice that ingested zinc during the same times, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

30 May 2014

Study provides insight into genetic causes of cleft lip and cleft palate

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, have identified how a specific stretch of DNA controls far-off genes to influence the formation of the face.

28 May 2014

GSA announce winners of GSA Poster Awards at 55th Annual Drosophila Research Conference

The Genetics Society of America (GSA) and the Drosophila research community are pleased to announce the winners of GSA Poster Awards at the 55th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, which took place in San Diego, March 26-30, 2014.

21 May 2014

Scientists uncover early steps of totipotency in sperm precursors

In the body, a skin cell will always be skin, and a heart cell will always be heart. But in the first hours of life, cells in the nascent embryo become totipotent: they have the incredible flexibility to mature into skin, heart, gut, or any type of cell.

20 May 2014