Cell fate in animal and human blastocysts and the determination of viability

Abstract

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the first cell differentiation events in human preimplantation development is fundamental for defining the optimal conditions for IVF techniques and selecting the most viable embryos for further development. However, our comprehension of the very early events in development is still very limited. Moreover, our knowledge on early lineage specification comes primarily from studying the mouse model. It is important to recognize that although mammalian embryos share similar morphological landmarks, the timing and molecular control of developmental events may vary substantially between species. Mammalian blastocysts comprise three cell types that arise thro..