Recent Advancements in Mammalian Embryo Culture: From Animal Models to Humans

Dear Colleagues,

Animal models have provided clear evidence that embryos developed in vitro have reduced abilities to implant, develop to term, and give rise to healthy offspring compared to their in vivo counterparts. In vivo, embryos develop in submicroliter volumes of maternal fluids secreted by cells lining the virtual cavities of the oviduct and uterus, while the embryo is transported by ciliary metachronal waves and organ peristaltic contractions. During transport, the developing embryo communicates with oviduct epithelial cells and the endometrium through secreted factors, exosomes, and direct cell–cell interactions that influence embryo competence, oviduct function, and endometrial receptivity. This scenario has led some research groups to attempt to mimic such an environment in vitro using either static or dynamic culture systems. Recently, assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) in humans and mammalian animal models, combined with non-invasive assessments such as morphokinetics, metabolomics, gene expression, and others, have greatly contributed to our understanding of mammalian preimplantation embryo development and provided promising avenues for overcoming limitations in current culture systems to produce successful embryos. Because ethical and legal concerns limit the testing of newly designed culture systems directly on human embryos, research on primate and non-primate mammalian models plays a key role in translating findings to improve embryo culture systems and developmental competence and define useful markers for embryo selection in humans.

This Special Issue of Cells, “Recent Advancements in Mammalian Embryo Culture: From Animal Models to Humans”, aims to gather high-quality original research and review articles with a focus on any facet of pre-implantation embryo development in vitro and in vivo, with a particular interest in the following:

• Fertilization;
• IVF and embryo transfer;
• Single and group embryo culture;
• Dynamic embryo culture;
• Milli and/or microfluidics;
• ART outcomes;
• Blastocyst;
• Maternal reproductive tract;
• Oviduct;
• Uterus;
• Exosomes;
• Metabolomics;
• Embryo morphokinetics;
• Embryo selection;
• Aneuploidy;
• Pregnancy;
• Epigenetics;
• Omics;
• Oxidative stress;
• DNA damage and repair;
• Use of novel/new antioxidants in reproductive biology;
• Health of the progeny.

Prof. Roberto Gualtieri
Prof. Talevi Riccardo
Dr. Vincenza De Gregorio
Guest Editors

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• preimplantation embryo development
• oviduct
• fallopian tube
• uterus
• endometrium
• culture system
• milli/microfluidics
• morphokinetics
• metabolomics
• exosomes
• embryo selection
• aneuploidy