News | Scientists Recreate Human Endometrium in the Lab, Allowing Early Embryos to Implant
British scientists have created an implantable model of the human endometrium in the laboratory for the first time and achieved attachment and implantation of early human embryos within it. The breakthrough allowed researchers to systematically observe the chemical signaling between embryos and the endometrium for the first time, providing an unprecedented research tool for investigating early pregnancy, recurrent miscarriage and implantation failure.
In the experiment, early human embryos donated by couples after in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment successfully implanted in the engineered endometrium and began secreting human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the biochemical marker that produces a “blue line” on a home pregnancy test. The embryos also produced a range of signaling molecules closely associated with early pregnancy.
The study was led by a team at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, England. Senior author and research group leader Dr. Peter Rugg-Gunn said: “It was remarkable to see this process. Previously, we could only obtain isolated snapshots of early pregnancy. This model opens an entirely new avenue for understanding this critical stage.”
Embryo implantation usually occurs about one week after fertilization and is a crucial point in determining whether pregnancy succeeds. Ethical and technical constraints, however, make it almost impossible to observe directly in the human body. Current understanding comes largely from a very small number of hysterectomy samples from early pregnancy collected more than 50 years ago, a limitation that has long hindered progress in reproductive medicine.
To construct the endometrial replica, the team isolated two key cell types from endometrial biopsies donated by healthy women: stromal cells that provide structural support and epithelial cells that form the endometrial surface. The stromal cells were embedded in a degradable hydrogel, while epithelial cells covered the surface, creating a three-dimensional structure that closely mimics the natural endometrium.
Researchers then placed early IVF embryos in the model. The study, published in Cell, showed that the embryos attached and implanted as expected, then rapidly increased secretion of hCG and other pregnancy-related compounds. During the legally permitted 14-day research period, the team continued observing development and found that the embryos formed several specialized cell types, including cells involved in placental formation.
Detailed analysis of the implantation site allowed the team to characterize two-way molecular signaling between the embryo and endometrium. These signals are considered essential to establishing and maintaining pregnancy. When researchers chemically blocked one key signaling pathway, placental tissue developed severe defects, highlighting the model's ability to test the consequences of disrupted signaling.
Rugg-Gunn noted that about half of human embryos fail to implant for reasons that remain unclear. “If we can understand why these failures occur, we may be able to significantly improve IVF success rates.”
The team plans to use the model to continue studying development after implantation, particularly when the placenta begins to form. Many serious pregnancy complications are thought to originate from abnormal development during this period.
In the same journal, a Chinese research team reported a similar artificial endometrial model and identified candidate drugs that may improve embryo implantation rates in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF), further underscoring the international significance of this approach.
John Aplin, professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Manchester, noted that despite more than 40 years of assisted reproductive technology, embryo implantation rates have long remained stagnant. “Embryo implantation initiates the placental development program and is the central step determining whether pregnancy continues. The earliest stage is exceptionally important, yet it is the least understood and most prone to failure. This work offers a realistic opportunity to explore treatments that improve implantation efficiency.”
News | Scientists Recreate Human Endometrium in the Lab, Allowing Early Embryos to Implant
News | Scientists Recreate Human Endometrium in the Lab, Allowing Early Embryos to Implant
British scientists have created an implantable model of the human endometrium in the laboratory for the first time and achieved attachment and implantation of early human embryos within it. The breakthrough allowed researchers to systematically observe the chemical signaling between embryos and the endometrium for the first time, providing an unprecedented research tool for investigating early pregnancy, recurrent miscarriage and implantation failure.
In the experiment, early human embryos donated by couples after in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment successfully implanted in the engineered endometrium and began secreting human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the biochemical marker that produces a “blue line” on a home pregnancy test. The embryos also produced a range of signaling molecules closely associated with early pregnancy.
The study was led by a team at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, England. Senior author and research group leader Dr. Peter Rugg-Gunn said: “It was remarkable to see this process. Previously, we could only obtain isolated snapshots of early pregnancy. This model opens an entirely new avenue for understanding this critical stage.”
Embryo implantation usually occurs about one week after fertilization and is a crucial point in determining whether pregnancy succeeds. Ethical and technical constraints, however, make it almost impossible to observe directly in the human body. Current understanding comes largely from a very small number of hysterectomy samples from early pregnancy collected more than 50 years ago, a limitation that has long hindered progress in reproductive medicine.
To construct the endometrial replica, the team isolated two key cell types from endometrial biopsies donated by healthy women: stromal cells that provide structural support and epithelial cells that form the endometrial surface. The stromal cells were embedded in a degradable hydrogel, while epithelial cells covered the surface, creating a three-dimensional structure that closely mimics the natural endometrium.
Researchers then placed early IVF embryos in the model. The study, published in Cell, showed that the embryos attached and implanted as expected, then rapidly increased secretion of hCG and other pregnancy-related compounds. During the legally permitted 14-day research period, the team continued observing development and found that the embryos formed several specialized cell types, including cells involved in placental formation.
Detailed analysis of the implantation site allowed the team to characterize two-way molecular signaling between the embryo and endometrium. These signals are considered essential to establishing and maintaining pregnancy. When researchers chemically blocked one key signaling pathway, placental tissue developed severe defects, highlighting the model's ability to test the consequences of disrupted signaling.
Rugg-Gunn noted that about half of human embryos fail to implant for reasons that remain unclear. “If we can understand why these failures occur, we may be able to significantly improve IVF success rates.”
The team plans to use the model to continue studying development after implantation, particularly when the placenta begins to form. Many serious pregnancy complications are thought to originate from abnormal development during this period.
In the same journal, a Chinese research team reported a similar artificial endometrial model and identified candidate drugs that may improve embryo implantation rates in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF), further underscoring the international significance of this approach.
John Aplin, professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Manchester, noted that despite more than 40 years of assisted reproductive technology, embryo implantation rates have long remained stagnant. “Embryo implantation initiates the placental development program and is the central step determining whether pregnancy continues. The earliest stage is exceptionally important, yet it is the least understood and most prone to failure. This work offers a realistic opportunity to explore treatments that improve implantation efficiency.”
Story source:
Collected online