A copy of the endometrium was created to study embryo implantation (Image Source: AI-Generated)
Prater, New Delhi. Researchers have created a copy of the inner lining of the uterus, or endometrium, allowing them to study the implantation of human embryos. This process signals the beginning of pregnancy. The model, described in a paper published in the journal Cell, allows scientists to study interactions between the uterus and the fetus. With this, the reasons behind implant failure can be found out. Researchers from Britain's Babraham Institute and America's Stanford University conducted this study.
Attempt to understand transplant failure
"Understanding embryo implantation and fetal development immediately after implantation is important from a clinical perspective, as these stages are particularly vulnerable to failure," said lead researcher Peter Rugg Gunn, senior group leader at the Babraham Institute and lead author of the study. In particular, the high rate of implantation failure is one of the main limiting factors for the success of IVF. Researchers said that about a week after fertilization, the sperm and egg cell meet and the developing embryo becomes established in the lining of the uterus, or endometrium. He said this stage is not well understood because of the difficulty in observing the embryo during and after implantation.
Created a 3D model of the inner layer
The team said the 3D model of the inner lining of the uterus was created in a step-by-step process that brought together components of endometrial tissue and attempted to mimic the complex physical characteristics and cell structure of the endometrium. They isolated the two cells that make up endometrial tissue, epithelial and stromal, from tissue from healthy people, which they used to identify the components that give the inner lining of the uterus its structure.
"We were really excited that our system releases essential factors that are needed to nourish the fetus in the first few weeks of pregnancy," Rang-Gun said. Previous models have not achieved this so this was a significant breakthrough for us. Analyzing cells at embryo implantation sites, the researchers were able to profile cells at the interface of the embryo and endometrium model, effectively eavesdropping on the molecular communication between the tissues. The team said the results provide new insight into the complex interactions between the embryo and the endometrial environment immediately after embryonic development.
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