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Artificial culture and autologous endometrium co-culture: Which method makes embryos healthier?
With the advancement of infertility treatment technology, embryo culture technology has become an important part of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The growth of embryos not only depends on a good culture environment, but choosing the appropriate culture method is also crucial to the health of the embryos. In this article, we will compare the two methods of artificial culture and autologous endometrium co-culture to explore which one can better promote the healthy development of embryos.
Basic knowledge of embryo culture
Embryo culture refers to growing the resulting embryos in artificial media for a period of time. The duration of this process can vary depending on the different stages of embryonic development. Typically, embryo transfer can be performed at the cell division stage (days 2 to 4 after fertilization) or the blastocyst stage (day 5 or 6). Studies have shown that culturing embryos to the blastocyst stage can significantly increase the rate of successful live births per embryo transfer.
Culturing embryos to the blastocyst stage can increase the live birth rate without substantial difference to the overall pregnancy rate.
Artificial culture and autologous endometrium co-culture
Embryos can be cultured through two main methods: one is artificial culture, using synthetic culture media; the other is autoendometrium co-culture, which uses a woman's own endometrial cells to promote embryo development . The media used in artificial culture include glucose, pyruvate and other substances, and usually use different formulas to support the growth of embryos at different stages.
Autologous endometrium co-culture uses women’s own cells, which may help to more naturally simulate the development environment of the embryo.
Key factors in cultivating environment
Regardless of the culture method, several environmental factors need to be considered, including oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations, temperature and pH. The optimal environmental conditions should be similar to those of the female uterus, for example, the oxygen concentration should be approximately 5%, the carbon dioxide concentration should be maintained at 6%, and the culture temperature should be maintained at 37 degrees. Precise control of these environmental parameters is key to promoting healthy embryonic development.
Maintaining a precise culture environment is key to promoting healthy embryonic growth.
Research results and risks
Some animal experiments have found that long-term embryo culture may lead to epigenetic abnormalities, suggesting that special attention should be paid to the optimization of operations during the culture process. In addition, babies born after embryos are transferred to the blastocyst stage have a significantly increased risk of premature birth and congenital malformations compared with those at the cell division stage. This means that when choosing a culture method, in addition to considering the development of the embryo, possible risks must also be assessed.
Various cultivation methods and techniques
In addition to traditional artificial culture and autologous endometrium co-culture, there are also some new technologies currently being developed. For example, technology uses the uterus as an incubator and natural intrauterine fluid as the culture medium. This type of technology may bring one step closer to the natural environment of embryonic development.
Conclusion: Choose the most suitable method
Although there is currently no clear evidence that which method of embryo culture is more advantageous in terms of results, comprehensive consideration of the health of the embryo and the risk to the pregnant woman seems to be the trend in the development of embryo culture technology in the future. As technology advances, continued research is needed on which culture method to choose. Which method will become the gold standard for promoting embryonic health in the future?
