“
“Identification of a non-invasive

technique to assess embryo implantation potential in assisted reproduction would greatly increase success rates and lead more efficiently to single embryo transfer. Early studies suggested metabonomic this website analysis of spent culture media could improve embryo selection. The goal of this study is to assess if embryo implantation can be predicted based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 NMR) profiles of spent embryo culture media from patients undergoing transfer of multiple embryos on cycle day 3.

We conducted a retrospective study in an academic assisted reproduction technology (ART) program and analyzed the data in a university research center. Two hundred twenty-eight spent check details culture media samples originating from

108 patients were individually analyzed. Specifically, five distinct sets (1 to 5) of different types of spent media samples (volume 14 mu L) from embryos that resulted in clinical pregnancy (positive heart rate at 6 weeks gestation) (n (1) = 29; n (2) = 19; n (3) = 9; n (4) = 12; n (5) = 33; n (total) = 102) and from embryos that did not implant (n (1) = 28; n (2) = 29; n (3) = 18; n (4) = 15; n (5) = 36; n (total) = 126) were collected on day 3 of embryo growth. The media samples were profiled using H-1 NMR spectroscopy, and the NMR profiles of sets 1 to 5 were subject to standard uni- and multi-variate data analyses in order to evaluate potential correlation of see more profiles with implantation success.

For set 1 of the media samples, a borderline class separation of NMR profiles was obtained by

use of principal component analysis (PCA) and logistic regression. This tentative class separation could not be repeated and validated in any of the other media sets 2 to 5.

Despite the rigorous technical approach, H-1 NMR based profiling of spent culture media cannot predict success of implantation for day 3 human embryos.”
“Double homeobox 4 (DUX4) is a candidate disease gene for facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD), one of the most common muscular dystrophies characterized by progressive skeletal muscle degeneration. Despite great strides in understanding precise genetics of FSHD, the molecular pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear. One of the major limitations has been the availability of appropriate molecular tools to study DUX4 protein. In the present study, we report the development of five new monoclonal antibodies targeted against the N- and C-termini of human DUX4, and characterize their reactivity using Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Additionally, we show that expression of the canonical full coding DUX4 induces cell death in human primary muscle cells, whereas the expression of a shorter splice form of DUX4 results in no such toxicity. Immunostaining with these new antibodies reveals a differential effect of two DUX4 isoforms on human muscle cells.