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Reiter RJ, Sharma R, DA Chuffa LG, Zuccari DA, Amaral FG, Cipolla-Neto J. Melatonin-mediated actions and circadian functions that improve implantation, fetal health and pregnancy outcome. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 124:108534. [PMID: 38185312 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
This review summarizes data related to the potential importance of the ubiquitously functioning antioxidant, melatonin, in resisting oxidative stress and protecting against common pathophysiological disorders that accompany implantation, gestation and fetal development. Melatonin from the maternal pineal gland, but also trophoblasts in the placenta, perhaps in the mitochondria, produce this molecule as a hedge against impairment of the uteroplacental unit. We also discuss the role of circadian disruption on reproductive disorders of pregnancy. The common disorders of pregnancy, i.e., stillborn fetus, recurrent fetal loss, preeclampsia, fetal growth retardation, premature delivery, and fetal teratology are all conditions in which elevated oxidative stress plays a role and experimental supplementation with melatonin has been shown to reduce the frequency or severity of these conditions. Moreover, circadian disruption often occurs during pregnancy and has a negative impact on fetal health; conversely, melatonin has circadian rhythm synchronizing actions to overcome the consequences of chronodisruption which often appear postnatally. In view of the extensive findings supporting the ability of melatonin, an endogenously-produced and non-toxic molecule, to protect against experimental placental, fetal, and maternal pathologies, it should be given serious consideration as a supplement to forestall the disorders of pregnancy. Until recently, the collective idea was that melatonin supplements should be avoided during pregnancy. The data summarized herein suggests otherwise. The current findings coupled with the evidence, published elsewhere, showing that melatonin is highly protective of the fertilized oocyte from oxidative damage argues in favor of its use for improving pregnancy outcome generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Ramaswamy Sharma
- Applied Biomedical Sciences, School of Osteopathic Medicine, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Luiz Gustavo DA Chuffa
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Bioscience of Botucatu, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora Apc Zuccari
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Molecular do Cancer, Faculdade de Medicina de Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Fernanda G Amaral
- Department of Physiology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose Cipolla-Neto
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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2
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Rivron NC, Martinez Arias A, Pera MF, Moris N, M'hamdi HI. An ethical framework for human embryology with embryo models. Cell 2023; 186:3548-3557. [PMID: 37595564 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
A human embryo's legal definition and its entitlement to protection vary greatly worldwide. Recently, human pluripotent stem cells have been used to form in vitro models of early embryos that have challenged legal definitions and raised questions regarding their usage. In this light, we propose a refined legal definition of an embryo, suggest "tipping points" for when human embryo models could eventually be afforded similar protection to that of embryos, and then revisit basic ethical principles that might help to draft a roadmap for the gradual, justified usage of embryo models in a manner that aims to maximize benefits to society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas C Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Alfonso Martinez Arias
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Doctor Aiguader 88 ICREA (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Naomi Moris
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK
| | - Hafez Ismaili M'hamdi
- Department of Medical Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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3
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Godakumara K, Heath PR, Fazeli A. Rhythm of the First Language: Dynamics of Extracellular Vesicle-Based Embryo-Maternal Communication in the Pre-Implantation Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076811. [PMID: 37047784 PMCID: PMC10095160 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most critical steps in mammalian reproduction is implantation. Embryos with an impaired capacity for embryo-maternal crosstalk are thought to have a reduced potential for implantation. One agent of embryo-maternal communication is extracellular vesicles (EV). EVs are lipid bilayer-bound biological nanoparticles implicated in intercellular communication between many of the known cell types. In the current study, we isolated EVs from trophoblast analogue JAr spheroids and supplemented the EVs with receptive endometrium analogue RL95-2 cells to simulate pre-implantation embryo-maternal dialogue. The transcriptome of the endometrial cells was examined at 30 min, 4 h and 48 h intervals using Oxford Nanopore® technology. At the time points, 30 min, 4 h and 48 h, the endometrial cells showed a significantly altered transcriptome. It seems trophoblast EVs induce a swift and drastic effect on the endometrial transcriptome. The effect peaks at around 4 h of EV supplementation, indicating a generalized effect on cell physiology. Alterations are especially apparent in biological pathways critical to embryonic implantation, such as extracellular matrix-receptor interactions and cytokine-receptor interactions. These observations can be helpful in elucidating the dynamics of embryo-maternal communication in the pre-implantation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasun Godakumara
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Paul R Heath
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITRAN), University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Rd., Broomhall, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Alireza Fazeli
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, 14B Ravila, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
- Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
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4
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Heidari Khoei H, Javali A, Kagawa H, Sommer TM, Sestini G, David L, Slovakova J, Novatchkova M, Scholte Op Reimer Y, Rivron N. Generating human blastoids modeling blastocyst-stage embryos and implantation. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:1584-1620. [PMID: 36792779 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00802-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Human early development sets the stage for embryonic and adult life but remains difficult to investigate. A solution came from the ability of stem cells to organize into structures resembling preimplantation embryos-blastocysts-that we termed blastoids. This embryo model is available in unlimited numbers and could thus support scientific and medical advances. However, its predictive power depends on how faithfully it recapitulates the blastocyst. Here, we describe how we formed human blastoids that (1) efficiently achieve the morphology of the blastocyst and (2) form lineages according to the pace and sequence of blastocyst development, (3) ultimately forming cells that transcriptionally reflect the blastocyst (preimplantation stage). We employ three different commercially available 96- and 24-well microwell plates with results similar to our custom-made ones, and show that blastoids form in clinical in vitro fertilization medium and can be cryopreserved for shipping. Finally, we explain how blastoids replicate the directional process of implantation into endometrial organoids, specifically when these are hormonally stimulated. It takes 4 d for human blastoids to form and 10 d to prepare the endometrial implantation assay, and we have cultured blastoids up to 6 d (time-equivalent of day 13). On the basis of our experience, we anticipate that a person with ~1 year of human pluripotent stem cell culture experience and of organoid culture should be able to perform the protocol. Altogether, blastoids offer an opportunity to establish scientific and biomedical discovery programs for early pregnancy, and an ethical alternative to the use of embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidar Heidari Khoei
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Alok Javali
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Harunobu Kagawa
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Theresa Maria Sommer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Giovanni Sestini
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Laurent David
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CR2TI, UMR 1064, Nantes, France.,Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, BioCore, Nantes, France
| | - Jana Slovakova
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), IMBA Stem Cell Core Facility (ISCCF), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Novatchkova
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Yvonne Scholte Op Reimer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicolas Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Fatmous M, Rai A, Poh QH, Salamonsen LA, Greening DW. Endometrial small extracellular vesicles regulate human trophectodermal cell invasion by reprogramming the phosphoproteome landscape. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1078096. [PMID: 36619864 PMCID: PMC9813391 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1078096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of cyclical events within the uterus are crucial for pregnancy establishment. These include endometrial regeneration following menses, under the influence of estrogen (proliferative phase), then endometrial differentiation driven by estrogen/progesterone (secretory phase), to provide a microenvironment enabling attachment of embryo (as a hatched blastocyst) to the endometrial epithelium. This is followed by invasion of trophectodermal cells (the outer layer of the blastocyst) into the endometrium tissue to facilitate intrauterine development. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) released by endometrial epithelial cells during the secretory phase have been shown to facilitate trophoblast invasion; however, the molecular mechanisms that underline this process remain poorly understood. Here, we show that density gradient purified sEVs (1.06-1.11 g/ml, Alix+ and TSG101+, ∼180 nm) from human endometrial epithelial cells (hormonally primed with estrogen and progesterone vs. estrogen alone) are readily internalized by a human trophectodermal stem cell line and promote their invasion into Matrigel matrix. Mass spectrometry-based proteome analysis revealed that sEVs reprogrammed trophectoderm cell proteome and their cell surface proteome (surfaceome) to support this invasive phenotype through upregulation of pro-invasive regulators associated with focal adhesions (NRP1, PTPRK, ROCK2, TEK), embryo implantation (FBLN1, NIBAN2, BSG), and kinase receptors (EPHB4/B2, ERBB2, STRAP). Kinase substrate prediction highlighted a central role of MAPK3 as an upstream kinase regulating target cell proteome reprogramming. Phosphoproteome analysis pinpointed upregulation of MAPK3 T204/T202 phosphosites in hTSCs following sEV delivery, and that their pharmacological inhibition significantly abrogated invasion. This study provides novel molecular insights into endometrial sEVs orchestrating trophoblast invasion, highlighting the microenvironmental regulation of hTSCs during embryo implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Fatmous
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University (LTU), Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alin Rai
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Baker Department of Cardiovascular Research, Translation and Implementation, LTU, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Qi Hui Poh
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Baker Department of Cardiovascular Research, Translation and Implementation, LTU, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, LTU, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Lois A. Salamonsen
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia,Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - David W. Greening
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Baker Department of Cardiovascular Research, Translation and Implementation, LTU, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, LTU, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: David W. Greening,
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6
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Goedel A, Lanner F. A peek into the black box of human embryology. Nature 2021; 600:223-224. [PMID: 34789887 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-021-03381-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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7
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Vajta G, Parmegiani L, Machaty Z, Chen WB, Yakovenko S. Back to the future: optimised microwell culture of individual human preimplantation stage embryos. J Assist Reprod Genet 2021; 38:2563-2574. [PMID: 33864207 PMCID: PMC8581087 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-021-02167-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although in vitro culture of human embryos is a crucial step in assisted reproduction, the lack of focused research hampers worldwide standardisation and consistent outcomes. Only 1.2% of research papers published in five leading journals in human reproduction in 2019 focused on in vitro culture conditions, creating the impression that the optimisation process has approached its limits. On the other hand, in vitro culture of mammalian embryos is based on old principles, while there is no consensus on basic issues as density, time, medium change, gas atmosphere and small technical details including the way of drop preparation. This opinion paper aims to highlight and analyse the slow advancement in this field and stimulate research for simple and affordable solutions to meet the current requirements. A possible way for advancement is discussed in detail. Selection of embryos with the highest developmental competence requires individual culture and modification of the widely used "drop under oil" approach. Current use of three-dimensional surfaces instead of large flat bottoms is restricted to time-lapse systems, but these wells are designed for optical clarity, not for the needs of embryos. The size and shape of the original microwells (Well of the Well; WOW) offer a practical and straightforward solution to combine the benefits of communal and individual incubation and improve the overall quality of cultured embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Vajta
- RVT Australia, Cairns, QLD 4870 Australia
- VitaVitro Biotech Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Zoltan Machaty
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | | | - Sergey Yakovenko
- Altravita IVF Clinic, Moscow, Russia
- Biophysics Department, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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8
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He L, Ye S, Fang J, Zhang Y, Cui C, Wang A, Zhao Y, Shi H. Real-Time Visualization of Embryonic Apoptosis Using a Near-Infrared Fluorogenic Probe for Embryo Development Evaluation. Anal Chem 2021; 93:12122-12130. [PMID: 34424664 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Developing an accurate and reliable detection technique for early embryonic apoptosis is of great significance for real-time monitoring and evaluation of embryonic development in living systems. Herein, we have rationally designed and synthesized a novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorogenic probe CGK(QSY21)DEVD-Cy5.5 for real-time imaging of embryonic apoptosis. This probe is constructed with a NIR dye Cy5.5, a fluorescence quencher QSY21, and a peptide substrate Asp-Glu-Val-Asp (DEVD) of the caspase-3 enzyme that is a key executor of cell apoptosis. The probe was initially nonfluorescent in aqueous solution but emitted strong NIR fluorescence upon specific cleavage by activated caspase-3 in a concentration-dependent manner. Taking advantage of this unique feature, this fluorogenic probe was for the first time used for real-time imaging of caspase-3 activity in apoptotic embryos. More notably, significant fluorescence enhancement was solely determined from the apoptotic embryos with the treatment of the probe both in vitro and in vivo, highly suggesting that this probe has great potential to monitor the apoptosis of embryos. We thus envision that this probe would provide a very useful means for real-time visualization and accurate evaluation of embryonic development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei He
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.,CAM-SU Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Shuyue Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jing Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Chaoxiang Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Anna Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Haibin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
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9
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Piotrowska M. Avoiding the potentiality trap: thinking about the moral status of synthetic embryos. Monash Bioeth Rev 2021; 38:166-180. [PMID: 31741321 DOI: 10.1007/s40592-019-00099-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Research ethics committees must sometimes deliberate about objects that do not fit nicely into any existing category. This is currently the case with the "gastruloid," which is a self-assembling blob of cells that resembles a human embryo. The resemblance makes it tempting to group it with other members of that kind, and thus to ask whether gastruloids really are embryos. But fitting an ambiguous object into an existing category with well-worn pathways in research ethics, like the embryo, is only a temporary fix. The bigger problem is that we no longer know what an embryo is. We haven't had a non-absurd definition of 'embryo' for several decades and without a well-defined comparison class, asking whether gastruloids belong to the morally relevant class of things we call embryos is to ask a question without an answer. What's the alternative? A better approach needs to avoid what I'll refer to as "the potentiality trap" and, instead, rely on the emergence of morally salient facts about gastruloids and other synthetic embryos.
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10
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Vijg J. From DNA damage to mutations: All roads lead to aging. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 68:101316. [PMID: 33711511 PMCID: PMC10018438 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Damage to the repository of genetic information in cells has plagued life since its very beginning 3-4 billion years ago. Initially, in the absence of an ozone layer, especially damage from solar UV radiation must have been frequent, with other sources, most notably endogenous sources related to cell metabolism, gaining in importance over time. To cope with this high frequency of damage to the increasingly long DNA molecules that came to encode the growing complexity of cellular functions in cells, DNA repair evolved as one of the earliest genetic traits. Then as now, errors during the repair of DNA damage generated mutations, which provide the substrate for evolution by natural selection. With the emergence of multicellular organisms also the soma became a target of DNA damage and mutations. In somatic cells selection against the adverse effects of DNA damage is greatly diminished, especially in postmitotic cells after the age of first reproduction. Based on an abundance of evidence, DNA damage is now considered as the single most important driver of the degenerative processes that collectively cause aging. Here I will first briefly review the evidence for DNA damage as a cause of aging since the beginning of life. Then, after discussing the possible direct adverse effects of DNA damage and its cellular responses, I will provide an overview of the considerable progress that has recently been made in analyzing a major consequence of DNA damage in humans and other complex organisms: somatic mutations and the resulting genome mosaicism. Recent advances in studying somatic mutagenesis and genome mosaicism in different human and animal tissues will be discussed with a focus on the possible mechanisms through which loss of DNA sequence integrity could cause age-related functional decline and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Vijg
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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11
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Moris N, Alev C, Pera M, Martinez Arias A. Biomedical and societal impacts of in vitro embryo models of mammalian development. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1021-1030. [PMID: 33979591 PMCID: PMC8185435 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a diverse array of in vitro cell-derived models of mammalian development have been described that hold immense potential for exploring fundamental questions in developmental biology, particularly in the case of the human embryo where ethical and technical limitations restrict research. These models open up new avenues toward biomedical advances in in vitro fertilization, clinical research, and drug screening with potential to impact wider society across many diverse fields. These technologies raise challenging questions with profound ethical, regulatory, and social implications that deserve due consideration. Here, we discuss the potential impacts of embryo-like models, and their biomedical potential and current limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Moris
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Cantas Alev
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8510, Japan.
| | - Martin Pera
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
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12
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Yu Y, Chang HM, Schjenken JE. Editorial: Reproduction and the Inflammatory Response. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:835854. [PMID: 35173683 PMCID: PMC8842655 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.835854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hsun-Ming Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - John Even Schjenken
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Discipline of Biological Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Infertility and Reproduction Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: John Even Schjenken,
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13
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Critchley HOD, Babayev E, Bulun SE, Clark S, Garcia-Grau I, Gregersen PK, Kilcoyne A, Kim JYJ, Lavender M, Marsh EE, Matteson KA, Maybin JA, Metz CN, Moreno I, Silk K, Sommer M, Simon C, Tariyal R, Taylor HS, Wagner GP, Griffith LG. Menstruation: science and society. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020; 223:624-664. [PMID: 32707266 PMCID: PMC7661839 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Women's health concerns are generally underrepresented in basic and translational research, but reproductive health in particular has been hampered by a lack of understanding of basic uterine and menstrual physiology. Menstrual health is an integral part of overall health because between menarche and menopause, most women menstruate. Yet for tens of millions of women around the world, menstruation regularly and often catastrophically disrupts their physical, mental, and social well-being. Enhancing our understanding of the underlying phenomena involved in menstruation, abnormal uterine bleeding, and other menstruation-related disorders will move us closer to the goal of personalized care. Furthermore, a deeper mechanistic understanding of menstruation-a fast, scarless healing process in healthy individuals-will likely yield insights into a myriad of other diseases involving regulation of vascular function locally and systemically. We also recognize that many women now delay pregnancy and that there is an increasing desire for fertility and uterine preservation. In September 2018, the Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development convened a 2-day meeting, "Menstruation: Science and Society" with an aim to "identify gaps and opportunities in menstruation science and to raise awareness of the need for more research in this field." Experts in fields ranging from the evolutionary role of menstruation to basic endometrial biology (including omic analysis of the endometrium, stem cells and tissue engineering of the endometrium, endometrial microbiome, and abnormal uterine bleeding and fibroids) and translational medicine (imaging and sampling modalities, patient-focused analysis of menstrual disorders including abnormal uterine bleeding, smart technologies or applications and mobile health platforms) to societal challenges in health literacy and dissemination frameworks across different economic and cultural landscapes shared current state-of-the-art and future vision, incorporating the patient voice at the launch of the meeting. Here, we provide an enhanced meeting report with extensive up-to-date (as of submission) context, capturing the spectrum from how the basic processes of menstruation commence in response to progesterone withdrawal, through the role of tissue-resident and circulating stem and progenitor cells in monthly regeneration-and current gaps in knowledge on how dysregulation leads to abnormal uterine bleeding and other menstruation-related disorders such as adenomyosis, endometriosis, and fibroids-to the clinical challenges in diagnostics, treatment, and patient and societal education. We conclude with an overview of how the global agenda concerning menstruation, and specifically menstrual health and hygiene, are gaining momentum, ranging from increasing investment in addressing menstruation-related barriers facing girls in schools in low- to middle-income countries to the more recent "menstrual equity" and "period poverty" movements spreading across high-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary O D Critchley
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Elnur Babayev
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Serdar E Bulun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Iolanda Garcia-Grau
- Igenomix Foundation-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain; Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Peter K Gregersen
- The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY
| | | | | | | | - Erica E Marsh
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Kristen A Matteson
- Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Jacqueline A Maybin
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Christine N Metz
- The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY
| | - Inmaculada Moreno
- Igenomix Foundation-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Kami Silk
- Department of Communication, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
| | - Marni Sommer
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
| | - Carlos Simon
- Igenomix Foundation-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain; Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | | | - Hugh S Taylor
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Linda G Griffith
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
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Elmetwally MA, Halawa AA, Tang W, Wu G, Bazer FW. Effects of Bisphenol A on expression of genes related to amino acid transporters, insulin- like growth factor, aquaporin and amino acid release by porcine trophectoderm cells. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 96:241-248. [PMID: 32710935 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The peri-implantation period of pregnancy is critical for conceptus development, implantation, and signaling for establishment of pregnancy. This study evaluated the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on proliferation, adhesion, and migration of porcine trophectoderm (pTr2) cells, expression of transporters of arginine and synthesis of amino acids. All concentrations of BPA decreased proliferation and adhesion of pTr2 cells after 96 h compared to the control group. Lower concentrations of BPA (1 × 10-9, 1 × 10-8, 10-7M) increased (P < 0.05), but higher concentrations of BPA (1 × 10-5, 1 × 10-4 M) decreased migration of pTr2 cells. BPA increased expression of SLC7A1 mRNA at lower concentrations (1 × 10-9 to 1 × 10-6M) and SL7A6, another cationic acid transporter, at higher concentrations (1 × 10-5, 1 × 10-4 M). BPA also down-regulated the expression of IGF1 and IGF1 receptor at concentrations of 1 × 10-7 to 1 × 10-4 M compared to the control group. The expression of mRNAs for aquaporins (AQP) 3 and 4 were reduced at all concentrations of BPA, but at lower concentrations of BPA, (1 × 10-9 to 1 × 10-8M) expression of AQP9 mRNA increased and the expression of AQP11 was not affected by BPA (P > 0.05). There was an inhibitory effect of BPA on the release of synthesis of asparagine, threonine, taurine, tryptophan, and ornithine into the culture medium by pTr2 cells. Collectively, BPA adversely affected the expression of transporters for cationic amino acids like arginine, as well as AQPs, IGF1, and IGF1R associated with proliferation, migration, and adhesion of pTr2 cells. Those adverse effects would likely increase pregnancy losses during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A Elmetwally
- Department of Animal Science, United States; Center for Animal Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Amal A Halawa
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Wanjin Tang
- Department of Animal Science, United States; Center for Animal Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Guoyao Wu
- Department of Animal Science, United States; Center for Animal Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Fuller W Bazer
- Department of Animal Science, United States; Center for Animal Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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Batista MR, Diniz P, Torres A, Murta D, Lopes-da-Costa L, Silva E. Notch signaling in mouse blastocyst development and hatching. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 20:9. [PMID: 32482162 PMCID: PMC7265256 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-020-00216-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Mammalian early embryo development requires a well-orchestrated interplay of cell signaling pathways. Notch is a major regulatory pathway involved in cell-fate determination in embryonic and adult scenarios. However, the role of Notch in embryonic pre-implantation development is controversial. In particular, Notch role on blastocyst development and hatching remains elusive, and a complete picture of the transcription and expression patterns of Notch components during this time-period is not available. Results This study provided a comprehensive view on the dynamics of individual embryo gene transcription and protein expression patterns of Notch components (receptors Notch1–4; ligands Dll1 and Dll4, Jagged1–2; and effectors Hes1–2), and their relationship with transcription of gene markers of pluripotency and differentiation (Sox2, Oct4, Klf4, Cdx2) during mouse blastocyst development and hatching. Transcription of Notch1–2, Jagged1–2 and Hes1 was highly prevalent and dynamic along stages of development, whereas transcription of Notch3–4, Dll4 and Hes2 had a low prevalence among embryos. Transcription levels of Notch1, Notch2, Jagged2 and Hes1 correlated with each other and with those of pluripotency and differentiation genes. Gene transcription was associated to protein expression, except for Jagged2, where high transcription levels in all embryos were not translated into protein. Presence of Notch signaling activity was confirmed through nuclear NICD and Hes1 detection, and downregulation of Hes1 transcription following canonical signaling blockade with DAPT. In vitro embryo culture supplementation with Jagged1 had no effect on embryo developmental kinetics. In contrast, supplementation with Jagged2 abolished Jagged1 transcription, downregulated Cdx2 transcription and inhibited blastocyst hatching. Notch signaling blockade by DAPT downregulated transcription of Sox2, and retarded embryo hatching. Conclusion Transcription of Notch genes showed a dynamic pattern along blastocyst development and hatching. Data confirmed Notch signaling activity, and lead to the suggestion that Notch canonical signaling may be operating through Notch1, Notch3, Jagged1 and Hes1. Embryo culture supplementation with Jagged1 and Jagged2 unveiled a possible regulatory effect between Jagged1, Cdx2 and blastocyst hatching. Overall, results indicate that a deregulation in Notch signaling, either by its over or under-activation, affects blastocyst development and hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana R Batista
- Reproduction and Development Laboratory, CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Diniz
- Reproduction and Development Laboratory, CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Torres
- Reproduction and Development Laboratory, CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Daniel Murta
- Reproduction and Development Laboratory, CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal.,CBIOS - Research Centre for Biosciences and Health Technologies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Luís Lopes-da-Costa
- Reproduction and Development Laboratory, CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Elisabete Silva
- Reproduction and Development Laboratory, CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal
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Abstract
Aim To determine how the adrenomedullin (ADM) level in a woman's serum on the day of embryo transfer affects pregnancy results. Materials & Methods Women who had undergone frozen embryo transfer between July 2018 and February 2019 were prospectively included in the study. The relation between the level of ADM and pregnancy result was examined after taking a sample of serum from each patients on the same day as the transfer. Results The results revealed that the ADM levels in patients who became pregnant were higher, but not to a statistically significant level. Conclusion Adrenomedullin is an important molecule for human embryo implantation.
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17
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A. Lea R, K. Niakan K. Human germline genome editing. Nat Cell Biol 2019; 21:1479-1489. [DOI: 10.1038/s41556-019-0424-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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18
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Dynamics of trophoblast differentiation in peri-implantation-stage human embryos. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:22635-22644. [PMID: 31636193 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911362116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing of cells from cultured human blastocysts has enabled us to define the transcriptomic landscape of placental trophoblast (TB) that surrounds the epiblast and associated embryonic tissues during the enigmatic day 8 (D8) to D12 peri-implantation period before the villous placenta forms. We analyzed the transcriptomes of 3 early placental cell types, cytoTB (CTB), syncytioTB (STB), and migratoryTB (MTB), picked manually from cultured embryos dissociated with trypsin and were able to follow sublineages that emerged from proliferating CTB at the periphery of the conceptus. A unique form of CTB with some features of STB was detectable at D8, while mature STB was at its zenith at D10. A form of MTB with a mixed MTB/CTB phenotype arose around D10. By D12, STB generation was in decline, CTB had entered a new phase of proliferation, and mature MTB cells had begun to move from the main body of the conceptus. Notably, the MTB transcriptome at D12 indicated enrichment of transcripts associated with IFN signaling, migration, and invasion and up-regulation of HLA-C, HLA-E, and HLA-G. The STB, which is distinct from the STB of later villous STB, had a phenotype consistent with intense protein export and placental hormone production, as well as migration and invasion. The studies show that TB associated with human embryos is in rapid developmental flux during peri-implantation period when it must invade, signal robustly to the mother to ensure that the pregnancy continues, and make first contact with the maternal immune system.
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19
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Mulley JF. Greater Loss of Female Embryos During Human Pregnancy: A Novel Mechanism. Bioessays 2019; 41:e1900063. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John F. Mulley
- School of Natural SciencesBangor University Deiniol Road Bangor LL57 2UW UK
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20
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Mathew B, Muñoz-Descalzo S, Corujo-Simon E, Schröter C, Stelzer EHK, Fischer SC. Mouse ICM Organoids Reveal Three-Dimensional Cell Fate Clustering. Biophys J 2018; 116:127-141. [PMID: 30514631 PMCID: PMC6341222 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During mammalian preimplantation, cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) adopt either an embryonic or an extraembryonic fate. This process is tightly regulated in space and time and has been studied previously in mouse embryos and embryonic stem cell models. Current research suggests that cell fates are arranged in a salt-and-pepper pattern of random cell positioning or a spatially alternating pattern. However, the details of the three-dimensional patterns of cell fate specification have not been investigated in the embryo nor in in vitro systems. We developed ICM organoids as a, to our knowledge, novel three-dimensional in vitro stem cell system to model mechanisms of fate decisions that occur in the ICM. ICM organoids show similarities to the in vivo system that arise regardless of the differences in geometry and total cell number. Inspecting ICM organoids and mouse embryos, we describe a so far unknown local clustering of cells with identical fates in both systems. These findings are based on the three-dimensional quantitative analysis of spatiotemporal patterns of NANOG and GATA6 expression in combination with computational rule-based modeling. The pattern identified by our analysis is distinct from the current view of a salt-and-pepper pattern. Our investigation of the spatial distributions both in vivo and in vitro dissects the contributions of the different parts of the embryo to cell fate specifications. In perspective, our combination of quantitative in vivo and in vitro analyses can be extended to other mammalian organisms and thus creates a powerful approach to study embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biena Mathew
- Physikalische Biologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Silvia Muñoz-Descalzo
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Elena Corujo-Simon
- Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Christian Schröter
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ernst H K Stelzer
- Physikalische Biologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sabine C Fischer
- Physikalische Biologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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21
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Zuber PLF, Moran AC, Chou D, Renaud F, Halleux C, Peña-Rosas JP, Viswanathan K, Lackritz E, Jakob R, Mason E, Lamprianou S, Guillard-Maure C. Mapping the landscape of global programmes to evaluate health interventions in pregnancy: the need for harmonised approaches, standards and tools. BMJ Glob Health 2018; 3:e001053. [PMID: 30364289 PMCID: PMC6195154 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnant women and their babies are among the populations most vulnerable to untoward health outcomes. Yet current standards for evaluating health interventions cannot be met during pregnancy because of lack of adequate evidence. The situation is even more concerning in low-income and middle-income countries, where the need for effective interventions is the greatest. Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals for health will require strengthened attention to maternal and child health. In this paper we examine ongoing initiatives aimed at improving the assessment of maternal interventions. We review current methodologies to monitor outcomes of maternal interventions and identify where harmonisation is needed. Based on this analysis we identify settings where different minimal data sets should be considered taking into consideration the clinical realities. Stronger coordination mechanisms and a roadmap to support harmonised monitoring of maternal interventions across programmes and partners, working on improving pregnancy and early childhood health events, will greatly enhance ability to generate evidence-based policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L F Zuber
- Safety and Vigilance, Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Allisyn C Moran
- Department of Epidemiology, Monitoring and Evaluation, Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Doris Chou
- Adolescents and at-Risk Populations, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Françoise Renaud
- Strategic Information and Planning, Department of HIV/AIDS, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christine Halleux
- Intervention and Implementation Research, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Juan Pablo Peña-Rosas
- Evidence and Programme Guidance, Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kavitha Viswanathan
- Global Platform for Measurement and Accountability, Department of Information, Evidence and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eve Lackritz
- High Threat Pathogens, Department of Infectious Hazard Management, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Robert Jakob
- Data Standards and Informatics, Department of Information, Evidence and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Smaragda Lamprianou
- Safety and Vigilance, Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christine Guillard-Maure
- Safety and Vigilance, Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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