An observational study in Infertility, Infertility, Female and Aneuploidy, sponsored by ART Fertility Clinics LLC. Completed at 1 site in United Arab Emirates. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 36 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-07-17.
Sponsored by ART Fertility Clinics LLC · Observational
To develop a deeper understanding of endometrial-embryo crosstalk through basic research, uncover therapeutic targets and to improve reproductive outcome.
Pregnancy is a complex and highly coordinated physiological process that involves implantation of a hatched blastocyst into a decidualizing endometrium. The main purpose of implantation is to ensure that the blastocyst firmly anchors into the decidual stroma, which allows further development by enabling placentation. Although a multitude of cellular events and molecular pathways involved in embryo-uterine crosstalk have been identified in mouse models, a comprehensive understanding of human embryo-uterine interaction is still missing. Our work indicates that endometrial epithelial Ca2+ signalling in response to serine proteases released by human embryos plays an important role in maternal recognition and selection of the conceptus at implantation. Previous studies have demonstrated that trophoblast spheroids can elevate [Ca2+]i in human uterine epithelial cell line (Ishikawa) by activating Ca2+ entry via mechano-sensitive Ca2+ permeable channels leading to the induction of epithelial adhesiveness. However, the mechanism(s) mediating the protease-induced [Ca2+]i transients in human uterine epithelium have not been studied to date. Investigators hypothesise that Na+ entry into the intravillous space via trypsin-activated ENaC will depolarise the cellular membrane and increase [Na+]v sufficiently high to reverse the sodium/calcium exchanger providing means for Ca2+ entry into the intravillous space. Ca2+ diffusion from the microvilli into the bulk cytoplasm will increase [Ca2+]i and, in parallel with SOCE, act as a source for re-filling of the ER. Increased [Ca2+]i will also activate the BK channels leading to repolarisation and termination of Ca2+ entry via the NCX.
By using spent medium from embryos, which will undergo pre-implantation genetic testing, it will become possible to determine, whether the above mentioned mechanisms are influenced by the ploidy status of the embryo.
Arab ethnicity, with primary / secondary infertility, who undergo an ICSI treatment with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies.
Exclusion Criteria:
culture media derived from euploid embryos
Other: Exposure to culture media
culture media derived from aneuploid embryos
Other: Exposure to culture media
culture media derived from arrested embryos
Other: Exposure to culture media
pure culture media without contact to embryos
Other: Exposure to culture media
Exposure to culture media
Change in markers of protein
Change in markers of protein (PAR2, (p) and SGK1, NFkB, ORAI1-3 and STIM1-2 and COX2) using Western blotting
Time frame: 1 day
Change in peak and slope levels of intracellular calcium
Change in peak and slope levels of intracellular calcium
Time frame: 1 day
Change in morphohology of cells after incubation with embryo media
Change in morphohology of cells after incubation with embryo media
Time frame: 1 day
Performance of ICSI
Defined on day 0 as the number of injected oocytes/number of COCs assigned to the ICSI group
Time frame: 1 day
Embryo quality on day 3
Defined by the number of blastomeres and their division pattern, fragmentation, presence of compaction, vacuoles, granulation and nuclei
Time frame: 1 day
Embryo quality on day 5 (Gardner and Schoolcraft,1999)
Gardner and Schoolcraft,1999) defined by: * The expansion stage of the blastocyst * Quality of the ICM and TE * Day on which the biopsy is performed (day 5,6 or 7) * Pregnancy outcomes (miscarriages/ectopic pregnancy/neonatal outcome)
Time frame: 1 day
Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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ART Fertility Clinics LLC