Embryo vitrification using a novel semi-automated closed system yields in vitro outcomes equivalent to the manual Cryotop method.

STUDY QUESTION: Can the equilibration steps prior to embryo vitrification be automated? SUMMARY ANSWER: We have developed the 'Gavi' system which automatically performs equilibration steps before closed system vitrification on up to four embryos at a time and gives in vitro outcomes equivalent to the manual Cryotop method. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Embryo cryopreservation is an essential component of a successful assisted reproduction clinic, with vitrification providing excellent embryo survival and pregnancy outcomes. However, vitrification is a manual, labour-intensive and highly skilled procedure, and results can vary between embryologists and clinics. A closed system whereby the embryo does not come in direct contact with liquid nitrogen is preferred by many clinics and is a regulatory requirement in some countries. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The Gavi system, an automation instrument with a novel closed system device, was used to equilibrate embryos prior to vitrification. Outcomes for embryos automatically processed with the Gavi system were compared with those processed with the manual Cryotop method and with fresh (non-vitrified) controls. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The efficacy of the Gavi system (Alpha model) was assessed for mouse (Quackenbush Swiss and F1 C57BL/6J x CBA) zygotes, cleavage stage embryos and blastocysts, and for donated human vitrified-warmed blastocysts. The main outcomes assessed included recovery, survival and in vitro embryo development after vitrification-warming. Cooling and warming rates were measured using a thermocouple probe. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Mouse embryos vitrified after processing with the automated Gavi system achieved equivalent in vitro outcomes to that of Cryotop controls. For example, for mouse blastocysts both the Gavi system (n = 176) and manual Cryotop method (n = 172) gave a 99% recovery rate, of which 54 and 50%, respectively, progressed to fully hatched blastocysts 48 h after warming. The outcomes for human blastocysts processed with the Gavi system (n = 23) were also equivalent to Cryotop controls (n = 13) including 100% recovery for both groups, of which 17 and 15%, respectively, progressed to fully hatched blastocysts 48 h after warming. The cooling and warming rates achieved with the Gavi system were 14 136°C/min and 11 239°C/min, respectively. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Testing of the Gavi system described here was limited to in vitro development of embryos from two mouse strains and a limited number of human embryos. Validation of Gavi system advanced production models is now required to confirm the success of semi-automated vitrification, including clinical evaluation of pregnancy outcomes from the transfer of Gavi vitrified-warmed human embryos. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The Gavi system has the potential to revolutionize and standardize vitrification of embryos and oocytes. The success of the Gavi system shows that it is possible to semi-automate complicated labour-intensive ART methods and processes, and opens up the possibility for further improvements in clinical outcomes and efficiencies in the ART clinic. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: This study was funded by Genea Ltd. S.B., N.M.T., T.T.P., S.J.M., M.C.B. and T.S. are shareholders of Genea Ltd. E.V., C.H., C.L., S.R.L. and S.M.D. are shareholders of Planet Innovation Pty Ltd. The remaining authors are employees of either Genea Ltd. or Planet Innovation Pty Ltd.

Integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells model genetic and neural developmental features of down syndrome etiology.

Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent cause of human congenital mental retardation. Cognitive deficits in DS result from perturbations of normal cellular processes both during development and in adult tissues, but the mechanisms underlying DS etiology remain poorly understood. To assess the ability of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model DS phenotypes, as a prototypical complex human disease, we generated bona fide DS and wild-type (WT) nonviral iPSCs by episomal reprogramming. DS iPSCs selectively overexpressed chromosome 21 genes, consistent with gene dosage, which was associated with deregulation of thousands of genes throughout the genome. DS and WT iPSCs were neurally converted at >95% efficiency and had remarkably similar lineage potency, differentiation kinetics, proliferation, and axon extension at early time points. However, at later time points DS cultures showed a twofold bias toward glial lineages. Moreover, DS neural cultures were up to two times more sensitive to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis, and this could be prevented by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. Our results reveal a striking complexity in the genetic alterations caused by trisomy 21 that are likely to underlie DS developmental phenotypes, and indicate a central role for defective early glial development in establishing developmental defects in DS brains. Furthermore, oxidative stress sensitivity is likely to contribute to the accelerated neurodegeneration seen in DS, and we provide proof of concept for screening corrective therapeutics using DS iPSCs and their derivatives. Nonviral DS iPSCs can therefore model features of complex human disease in vitro and provide a renewable and ethically unencumbered discovery platform.

Cell lines from morphologically abnormal discarded IVF embryos are typically euploid and unaccompanied by intrachromosomal aberrations.

Routine IVF practices result in the discarding of a significant proportion of embryos due to their unsuitability for transfer or cryopreservation. The present study plated clinically unusable human blastocysts to derive cellular outgrowths for aneuploidy studies and genome-wide analysis of DNA copy number variations, and to evaluate their potential as a source for pluripotent stem cells. Just 79 cellular outgrowths were obtained from 1026 abnormal blastocysts (7.7%), reflecting their low developmental potential. Of these, 13 (16.5%) were karyotypically abnormal and included trisomies frequently detected in miscarriages, each of which was uniform (nonmosaic) and the result of meiotic nondisjunction. Evaluation of submicroscopic DNA gains and losses in 10 diploid cellular outgrowths did not identify increased rates of copy number variations. Five of these outgrowths were shown to express pluripotency markers and could be developed into cell lineages representative of the three germ layers. These data suggest that embryos with chromosomal abnormalities resist cell-line derivation, and mosaic aneuploidy produced from mitotic nondisjunction, common in preimplantation embryos, is likely to be diminished or lost under conditions of diploid cell competition. Furthermore, this work demonstrated that abnormal embryos discarded in IVF programmes can provide a valuable source for pluripotent stem cell lines. During IVF, a large proportion of embryos are clinically unsuitable due to abnormal development and these embryos only have a small chance of achieving a pregnancy. Here we used these abnormal embryos to create cell lines for genetic testing and to determine their potential as stem cells. Of the 1026 abnormal embryos used, 79 (7.7%) created cell lines, reflecting their low developmental potential. Of those, only 16.5% had chromosomal anomalies, a much lower number than expected. This included chromosome abnormalities frequently observed in miscarriages, all of which were found in each cell tested (nonmosaic) and originated from the egg or the sperm as opposed to cell division. In-depth testing of 10 normal cell lines for small DNA gains and losses did not reveal an increased frequency of mutations. Furthermore, five of the cell lines were examined for stem cell properties and found to exhibit the hallmark features of stem cells including their ability to make mature cells from different parts of the body. Our data suggest that embryos with abnormal chromosomes resist making cell lines and that abnormalities that arise during cell division are likely to be lost due to competition with normal cells. We also demonstrated that abnormal embryos usually discarded in IVF programmes can provide a valuable source for stem cell lines.

Phenotypes of the ovarian follicular basal lamina predict developmental competence of oocytes.

BACKGROUND: The ovarian follicular basal lamina underlies the epithelial membrana granulosa and maintains the avascular intra-follicular compartment. Additional layers of basal lamina occur in a number of pathologies, including pili annulati and diabetes. We previously found additional layers of follicular basal lamina in a significant percentage of healthy bovine follicles. We wished to determine if this phenomenon existed in humans, and if it was related to oocyte function in the bovine. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined follicles from human ovaries (n = 18) by electron microscopy and found that many follicles had additional layers of basal lamina. Oocytes (n = 222) from bovine follicles with normal or unusual basal laminas were isolated and their ability to undergo in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture to blastocyst was compared. Healthy bovine follicles with a single layer of basal lamina had oocytes with significantly (P < 0.01) greater developmental competence than healthy follicles with additional layers of follicular basal lamina (65% versus 28%). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide direct evidence that the phenotype of the follicular basal lamina is related to oocyte competence.

Karyotypically normal and abnormal human embryonic stem cell lines derived from PGD-analyzed embryos.

Although a normal karyotype is generally a requirement for stem cell lines, new applications are likely to emerge for stem cells with defined chromosomal aneuploidies. We therefore investigated the use of embryos found to be aneuploid on biopsy followed by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and developmentally arrested embryos for stem cell derivation. Eleven stem cell lines were obtained from 41 embryos in 36 cultures, with higher success rate achieved from PGD-analyzed, developmentally advanced embryos (45%) than from clinically unsuitable non-PGD embryos (13%). The resulting stem cell lines were karyotyped, and surprisingly, six of the nine lines from aneuploid embryos as well as both lines from non-PGD embryos were karyotypically normal. Three lines from PGD embryos were aneuploid exhibiting trisomy 5, trisomy 16, and an isochromosome 13, respectively. None of the aneuploid lines presented the same anomally as the original PGD analysis. Our study has three important implications. First, we confirm the ability to produce stem cell lines from PGD-tested embryos as well as developmentally abnormal embryos, offering specialty stem cell lines for research into the clinically important aneuploidies. Second, we observe that stem cell derivation from apparently aneuploid embryos is often thwarted by underlying mosaicism and emerging dominance of the stem cell line by karyotypically normal cells. The corollary, however, is that regular production of normal stem cell lines from developmentally abnormal embryos ordinarity discarded opens a new source of embryos for stem cells, whether for research or for eventual therapeutic use within the donating families.

Derivation of human embryonic stem cell lines.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are undifferentiated cells derived from an early embryo that can grow in vitro indefinitely, while retaining their capability to differentiate into specialized somatic cell types. Over the last decade there has been great interest in derivation and culture of these cells, as they can potentially provide a supply of readily available differentiated cells and tissues of all types to be used for therapeutic purposes in cell transplantation in humans, as well as for other medical uses such as drug discovery. The source of hESC lines is usually excess human embryos from in vitro fertilization treatments, although novel ways of producing hESCs have been suggested recently. The actual methods of hESC derivation have not changed greatly since the first report by Thomson et al. in 1998 . However, the main emphasis over the last several years has been in finding defined conditions for derivation and culture of hESCs, because to enable the clinical use of hESC for cell transplantation, the use of animal derived biological components is no longer acceptable. For basic research, the aim is to replace even human derived materials with completely defined systems. In this paper we describe methods utilized in our laboratory for hESC derivation and describe two studies conducted in an attempt to improve derivation efficiency and to enable research outcomes to be achieved using fewer embryos.

Chapter 20 Gavi-Automated Vitrification Instrument.

Gavi is intended for use in a laboratory or clinic environment for the preparation and vitrification of oocytes, cleavage stage embryos and blastocysts. Gavi is designed to automate the equilibration steps in the vitrification process to minimize the variability that occurs during cryopreservation. This automated process reduces the potential for errors and ensures a standardized, repeatable procedure for vitrification in a controlled, closed-system environment.

Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent a mainstay for pluripotent stem cell research and development (R&D) and provide tangible opportunities for clinical translation including cell therapies and drug discovery. Moreover, in spite of the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), ESCs are an essential reference point, against which other pluripotent cells are compared. Hence, there is an ongoing need to derive and bank quality-controlled research-grade and clinical-grade ESC lines using established and standardized methods. Here, we provide a concise, step-by-step protocol for the derivation of ESCs from human embryos. While largely based on previously reported method for clinical-grade human ESC (hESC) line derivation, the protocol is suitable for routine application, although adaptable for clinical-compliance.

Derivation of Genea016 human embryonic stem cell line.

The Genea016 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, through ICM outgrowth on inactivated human feeders. The line showed pluripotent cell morphology and genomic analysis verified a 46, XX karyotype and female Allele pattern through traditional karyotyping, CGH and STR analysis. Pluripotency of Genea016 was demonstrated with 77% of cells expressing Nanog, 95% Oct4, 53% Tra1-60 and 98% SSEA4, a PluriTest Pluripotency score of 28.4, Novelty score of 1.37 and Alkaline Phosphatase activity. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and any visible contamination.

Derivation of Genea002 human embryonic stem cell line.

The Genea002 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, through ICM outgrowth on inactivated feeders. The line showed pluripotent cell morphology and genomic analysis verified a 46, XY karyotype by CGH and male Allele pattern through STR analysis. Pluripotency of Genea002 was demonstrated with 75% of cells expressing Nanog, 93% Oct4, 83% Tra1-60 and 98% SSEA4, a Pluritest pluripotency score of 24.55, Novelty score of 1.39, teratomas with tissues from all embryonic germ layers and Alkaline Phosphatase activity. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and any visible contamination.

Derivation of human embryonic stem cell line Genea019.

The Genea019 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, through ICM outgrowth on inactivated feeders. The line showed pluripotent cell morphology and genomic analysis verified a 46, XX karyotype, female Allele pattern and unaffected Htt CAG repeat length, compared to HD affected sibling Genea020. Pluripotency of Genea019 was demonstrated with 75% of cells expressing Nanog, 89% Oct4, 48% Tra1-60 and 85% SSEA4, a Pluritest Pluripotency score of 22.97, Novelty score of 1.42, tri-lineage teratoma formation and Alkaline Phosphatase activity. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and any visible contamination.

Derivation of Trisomy 21 affected human embryonic stem cell line Genea021.

The Genea021 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, carrying Trisomy 21, indicative of Down Syndrome. Following ICM outgrowth on inactivated human feeders, CGH and STR analyses demonstrated a 47, XY, +21 karyotype and male allele pattern. The hESC line had pluripotent cell morphology, 71% of cells expressed Nanog, 84% Oct4, 23% Tra1-60 and 95% SSEA4, gave a Pluritest Pluripotency score of 21.85, Novelty of 1.42, demonstrated Alkaline Phosphatase activity and tri-lineage teratoma formation. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and visible contamination.

Derivation of Huntington Disease affected Genea018 human embryonic stem cell line.

The Genea018 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, carrying Htt gene CAG expansion of 46 repeats, indicative of Huntington Disease. Following ICM outgrowth on inactivated human feeders, karyotype was confirmed as 46, XX by CGH and STR analysis demonstrated a female Allele pattern. The hESC line had pluripotent cell morphology, 75% of cells expressed Nanog, 91% Oct4, 73% Tra1-60 and 96% SSEA4, gave a Pluritest pluripotency score of 31.12, Novelty of 1.45, demonstrated Alkaline Phosphatase activity and tri-lineage teratoma formation. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and visible contamination.

Derivation of Huntington disease affected Genea020 human embryonic stem cell line.

The Genea020 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, carrying Htt gene CAG expansion of 48 repeats, indicative of Huntington disease. Following ICM outgrowth on inactivated human feeders, karyotype was confirmed as 46, XX by CGH and STR analysis demonstrated a female allele pattern. The hESC line had pluripotent cell morphology, 89% of cells expressed Nanog, 95% Oct4, 29% Tra1-60 and 99% SSEA4, gave a Pluritest pluripotency score of 27.51, novelty of 1.43 and demonstrated alkaline phosphatase activity. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and visible contamination.

Derivation of human embryonic stem cell line Genea023.

The Genea023 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, through ICM outgrowth on inactivated feeders. The line showed pluripotent cell morphology and genomic analysis verified a 46, XY karyotype and male allele pattern through CGH and STR analysis. Pluripotency of Genea023 was demonstrated with 85% of cells expressed Nanog, 98% Oct4, 55% Tra1-60 and 98% SSEA4, gave a Pluritest Pluripotency score of 42.76, Novelty of 1.23, demonstrated Alkaline Phosphatase activity and tri-lineage teratoma formation. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and visible contamination.

Derivation of human embryonic stem cell line Genea022.

The Genea022 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, through ICM outgrowth on inactivated feeders. The line showed pluripotent cell morphology and genomic analysis verified a 46, XY karyotype and male allele pattern through CGH and STR analysis. Pluripotency of Genea022 was demonstrated with 84% of cells expressed Nanog, 98% Oct4, 55% Tra1-60 and 97% SSEA4, gave a Pluritest Pluripotency score of 42.95, Novelty of 1.23, demonstrated Alkaline Phosphatase activity and tri-lineage teratoma formation. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and visible contamination.

Derivation of Huntington Disease affected Genea017 human embryonic stem cell line.

The Genea017 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, carrying Htt gene CAG expansion of 40 repeats, indicative of Huntington Disease. Following ICM outgrowth on inactivated human feeders, genetic analysis confirmed a 46, XY karyotype and male allele pattern through CGH and STR analysis. The hESC line had pluripotent cell morphology, 87% of cells expressed Nanog, 95% Oct4, 88% Tra1-60 and 99% SSEA4, gave a PluriTest pluripotency score of 34.74, novelty of 1.27, demonstrated alkaline phosphatase activity and tri-lineage teratoma formation. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and visible contamination.

Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines from Vitrified Human Blastocysts.

Human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells typically derived from blastulating embryos that have become excess to clinical needs in assisted reproduction programs. They provide cellular models for embryonic development and disease, and are thought to be useful for future cell replacement therapies and regenerative medicine. Here we describe methods to derive human embryonic stem cell lines. This includes blastocyst cryopreservation using a highly efficient vitrification protocol, the production and use of fibroblast feeder cells, embryo plating and passaging of resulting cellular outgrowths, and cryopreservation of putative stem cells lines.

Highly efficient and reliable chemically assisted enucleation method for handmade cloning in cattle.

The purpose of the present study was to find an efficient and reliable chemically assisted procedure for enucleation related to the handmade cloning (HMC) technique. After in vitro maturation oocytes were incubated in 0.5 microg mL(-1) demecolcine for 2 h. Subsequently, zonae pellucidae were digested with pronase, and one-third of the cytoplasm connected to an extrusion cone was removed by hand using a microblade. The remaining two-thirds were used as recipients for HMC, and reconstructed and activated embryos were cultured for 7 days. The time-dependent manner of the development of extrusion cones, the efficiency (oriented bisection per oocyte; 94%), reliability (success per attempted enucleation; 98%), and the blastocyst per reconstructed embryo rates (48%) were measured. Ultrastructural analyses demonstrated that demecolcine treatment resulted in disoriented and haphazardly orientated microtubules. The general ultrastructure of the oocyte organelles, however, appeared to be unaltered by the treatments. Considering that no oocyte selection based on polar body presence was performed, this system seems to be more efficient and reliable than any other enucleation method. Moreover, expensive equipment (inverted fluorescence microscope) and a potentially harmful step (staining and ultraviolet illumination) can be eliminated from the HMC procedure without compromising the high in vitro efficiency.

Postnatal growth and circulating ACTH and cortisol concentrations during the first month of life in cloned lambs.

Recent studies have indicated that there is a decrease in perinatal survival of apparently normal animals produced by somatic-cell nuclear transfer. Here we report that the cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) profiles of cloned lambs in the first 4 weeks of life are significantly different to that of control lambs. The growth of cloned lambs however was not different to controls. These findings demonstrate that endocrine development may be altered in apparently "normal" clones.