Marin Diego, Scott Richard T
IVI-RMA New Jersey, Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
Thomas Jefferson College of Biomedical Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Jun;30(3):171-178. doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000458.
Extracellular vesicles have recently emerged as a promising field of research due to their pivotal roles in intercellular communication and potential to serve as biomarkers. This review focuses on extracellular vesicles secreted by the human preimplantation embryo. The most recent findings on embryo-derived extracellular vesicles are described and discussed, as well as current technical challenges to study them.
So far, only a few studies have addressed extracellular vesicles of embryonic origin and explored their potential as biomarkers for embryo selection. Two main hypotheses have driven interest in studying extracellular vesicles in IVF embryo-conditioned culture media. On the one hand, the potential roles of extracellular vesicles in mediating the embryo-endometrial crosstalk for proper implantation. On the other hand, the profile of secreted extracellular vesicles as an indicator of embryonic fitness irrespective of any involvement or communication with the endometrium. Embryo-derived extracellular vesicles have already been investigated to design diagnostic tests for embryo viability, however with small sample sizes or without extensive technology validation.
Extracellular vesicles offer indeed a novel means to assess embryonic fitness. Further validation studies, technology development and more complex study designs are certainly required to implement the profiling of embryonic extracellular vesicles as a diagnostic test for embryo selection.
细胞外囊泡因其在细胞间通讯中的关键作用以及作为生物标志物的潜力，最近成为一个有前景的研究领域。本综述聚焦于人类植入前胚胎分泌的细胞外囊泡。描述并讨论了胚胎来源的细胞外囊泡的最新发现，以及研究它们当前面临的技术挑战。
到目前为止，只有少数研究涉及胚胎来源的细胞外囊泡，并探索了它们作为胚胎选择生物标志物的潜力。有两个主要假说是人们对研究体外受精胚胎条件培养基中的细胞外囊泡产生兴趣的原因。一方面，细胞外囊泡在介导胚胎-子宫内膜串扰以实现正常着床方面的潜在作用。另一方面，分泌的细胞外囊泡的特征可作为胚胎健康状况的指标，而不考虑其与子宫内膜的任何参与或通讯情况。胚胎来源的细胞外囊泡已被研究用于设计胚胎活力的诊断测试，但样本量较小或未经过广泛的技术验证。
细胞外囊泡确实为评估胚胎健康状况提供了一种新方法。要将胚胎细胞外囊泡的分析作为胚胎选择的诊断测试来实施，肯定需要进一步的验证研究、技术开发和更复杂的研究设计。
