A Unified Approach to Human Embryo Culture

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A Unified Approach to Human Embryo Culture
Don Rieger PhD and Klaus Wiemer Ph.D. Life
Global, Northwest Center for Reproductive
Sciences kwiemer_at_nwreprosci.com
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• A Single Medium
• vs.
• Sequential Media
• from Zygote to Blastocyst

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A Single Medium vs. Sequential Media for Embryo
Culture
in order to optimize mammalian embryo
development in culture, sequential media are
required, each designed to meet the changing
requirements of the developing embryo. (Gardner
and Lane, In Principles of Cloning, 187-213, 2002)
The popularity of this conviction is due to its
intuitive appeal, but critical examination shows
that it is not supported by direct experimental
evidence (Biggers et al., Hum Reprod 20,
3376-84, 2005)
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• A single medium can be used for culture from the
  zygote to the blastocyst stage

• Changing the medium is a stress on the embryo

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The Development of global
Medium Year Investigators
SOM 1991 Lawitts Biggers
KSOM 1994 Erbach et al.
KSOMaa 2000 Biggers et al.
global (Ala-Gln) 2002 Wiemer et al.
global (Gly-Gln) 2006 (Biggers et al., 2004)
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global Formulation
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• The global Family
• of Media

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The global Family of Media
Objective To maintain, as closely as possible,
the same medium throughout all stages of gamete
and embryo handling and culture In order
to Minimize the stress of changing from one
medium to another
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1. global for Fertilization
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Energy Metabolism of the COC and Sperm
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global for Fertilization Formulation
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2. global w/HEPES
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Acid-Base Buffer Systems
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global w/HEPES Formulation
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3. PGD Biopsy Medium
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The PGD Biopsy Procedure
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The Effect of Biopsy Medium on Pregnancy Rate
(Hill Li, The Clinical Embryologist 7, 11-12,
2004)
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PGD Biopsy Medium Formulation
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• The Unified Approach
• to Culture

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ART Procedures Day 0
Culture global
Day 1
Day 1
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ART Procedures Day 1
Classical IVF global for Fertilization
Post-ICSI Culture global
Culture fresh droplets of global
Day 3
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ART Procedures Day 3
Culture global
Cryopreservation
Transfer global
Assisted Hatching global w/HEPES
PGD Biopsy PGD Biopsy Medium
Culture fresh droplets of global
Day 5
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ART Procedures Day 5 and 6
Culture global
Transfer global
Cryopreservation
Culture fresh droplets of global
Day 6
Transfer global
Cryopreservation
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Thank You