Quantification of embryo quality towards to medical and agricultural appications

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25712035
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Integrative animal science
• Research Institution: Kindai University (2016); Osaka University (2013-2015)
• Principal Investigator: YAMAGATA Kazuo 近畿大学, 生物理工学部, 准教授 (10361312)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 初期胚 / 胚の質 / ライブセルイメージング / 定量解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Infertility is now a major human issue worldwide and one-sixth of couples use infertility clinics in Japan. Although more than 1 in 30 babies have now been born using assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilization, unfortunately, the success rates of ARTs have reduced gradually to about 10 to 20%. One of the main reasons of the poor quality of oocytes and early embryos is chromosome abnormality, most probably caused by advanced maternal age and environmental stresses. Therefore, to increase the pregnancy rate and ensure safe births, assessing embryo quality, particularly focusing on chromosome integrity, before implantation is essential. In this study, we have developed a live-cell imaging methodology that enables us to quantify various events taking place continuously from fertilization to the blastocyst stage, including chromosome segregation during cleavages in various mammalian embryos.

Free Research Field

発生工学、生殖生物学