Assessment of embryonic quality.
Successful in-vitro fertilization therapy of infertile patients requires the development of healthy embryos, which are able to match with the maternal peri-implantational requirements for the establishment of pregnancy. It has been a longstanding question whether detailed analyses could be developed to assess the developmental capacity of fertilized oocytes, cleavage stages or blastocysts without interference with the early embryo's potential for life. In reviewing these analytical possibilities which have been approached by several research groups, alternatives are considered, including whether animal experiments could lead to further insights for embryo assessment. However, the considerable implications of genetic aberrations have to be discussed when early human embryonic stages are analysed for their developmental potential. Finally, some thoughts on ethical problems are presented which focus on the difficulties of research on human embryos.
Michelmann
H W
HW
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Göttingen, FRG.
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*