Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Wiemer, K. E.
Right arrow Articles by Godke, R. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Wiemer, K. E.
Right arrow Articles by Godke, R. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 13, No. suppl_4, pp. 226-238, 1998
© 1998 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

The application of co-culture in assisted reproduction: 10 years of experience with human embryos

Klaus E. Wiemer1,5, Jacques Cohen2, Michael J. Tucker3 and Robert A. Godke4

1 Institute for Assisted Reproduction 200 Hawthorne Lane, 6A-IVF, Charlotte, North Carolina 28233, USA 2 Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science 101 Old Shorthills Road, Suite 405, West Orange, New Jersey 07052, USA 3 Reproductive Biology Associates 5505 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Suite 400, Atlanta, Georgia 30342, USA 4 Department of Animal Science, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA

Correspondence: 5To whom correspondence should be addressed

Co-culture techniques using fetal bovine uterine fibroblasts or bovine oviductal epithelial cells have improved embryonic development prior to replacement in humans. In initial co-culture trials, embryo development and implantation rates increased after just 1 day in culture. The most overt characteristics noted following co-culture were improved blastomere development and characteristics, reduced fragmentation, and the appearance of swollen blastomeres. In addition, an increase in the incidence of zona thickness variation was detected. Improved development of polyspermic and supernumerary embryos to the blastocyst stage was noted in initial trials. Retrospective analysis indicated that certain patient subgroups benefit the most from co-culture. As a result, co-culture is now applied routinely to patients that have previously failed attempts at in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or have endocrine imbalances such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and elevated day 3 concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The use of co-culture prior to or following cryopreservation has also proven to be beneficial to human embryos. The proposed beneficial mechanisms thought to improve embryonic development include a secretory and/or a scavenging role. Evidence describing the postulated benefits is discussed.

Key words: assisted hatching/co-culture/IVF/pregnancy


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.