Different Co-Culture Systems Have a Useful Impact on Preimplantation Embryo Development

Abstract

The production of in vitro produced embryos of good morphological quality and viability is a prerequisite for successful assisted reproduction biotechnologies in animal breeding and human. The co-culturing system has been applied to improve preimplantation development that could subsequently resulted in successful pregnancy. There are different types of reproductive and non-reproductive cells that have been used during preimplantation development. The most well-known reproductive cells are those recovered from ovaries (cumulus and granulosa cells), oviduct and endometrium cells. While, in last decade stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cells and murine embryonic fibroblasts that originated from different tissues have been used to support early embryonic development. The positive effect co-culturing system was suggested to be due to direct mechanical cell-to-cell contact that occurred between the dividing embryos embryo and helper cells in addition to secretions of various bioactive biological components like growth factors and scavenging the deleterious byproducts that resulted from embryo metabolism. In current review, we will highlight the effects of different couture systems on embryo development and their suggested mechanisms to exert the beneficial impacts.