Abstract
BackgroundThe large number (30) of permanent human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines and additional 29 which did not continue growing, in our laboratory at Karolinska Institutet have given us a possibility to analyse the relationship between embryo morphology and the success of derivation of hESC lines. The derivation method has been improved during the period 2002–2009, towards fewer xeno-components. Embryo quality is important as regards the likelihood of pregnancy, but there is little information regarding likelihood of stem cell derivation.MethodsWe evaluated the relationship of pronuclear zygote stage, the score based on embryo morphology and developmental rate at cleavage state, and the morphology of the blastocyst at the time of donation to stem cell research, to see how they correlated to successful establishment of new hESC lines.ResultsDerivation of hESC lines succeeded from poor quality and good quality embryos in the same extent. In several blastocysts, no real inner cell mass (ICM) was seen, but permanent well growing hESC lines could be established. One tripronuclear (3PN) zygote, which developed to blastocyst stage, gave origin to a karyotypically normal hESC line.ConclusionEven very poor quality embryos with few cells in the ICM can give origin to hESC lines.
Highlights
Embryos at different stages of development have been used for derivation of new human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines
One hESC line has been derived from the only blastomere which survived thawing after cryopreservation of a 4cell stage embryo [11]
In 2008, Lerou et al [13,14] compared derivation of hESC from one-cell arrested embryos to the blastocyst stage, and came to the conclusion that poor quality embryos can generate hESC lines (1/171), but that derivation efficiency significantly correlates with embryo status and that the embryos that have reached the blastocyst stage to a much greater extent generate hESC lines (8/94)
Summary
Embryos at different stages of development have been used for derivation of new hESC lines. One hESC line has been derived from the only blastomere which survived thawing after cryopreservation of a 4cell stage embryo [11]. Efficiency of the derivation has been poor from arrested embryos [12]. In 2008, Lerou et al [13,14] compared derivation of hESC from one-cell arrested embryos to the blastocyst stage, and came to the conclusion that poor quality embryos can generate hESC lines (1/171), but that derivation efficiency significantly correlates with embryo status and that the embryos that have reached the blastocyst stage to a much greater extent generate hESC lines (8/94). The large number (30) of permanent human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines and additional 29 which did not continue growing, in our laboratory at Karolinska Institutet have given us a possibility to analyse the relationship between embryo morphology and the success of derivation of hESC lines. Embryo quality is important as regards the likelihood of pregnancy, but there is little information regarding likelihood of stem cell derivation
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