Reproductive Genetics Institute, London

Investigation of Major Histocompatability Complex Products and Soluble Protein Expression in Human Embryos at the Pre-implantation Stage (R0165)

Licence holder: Mrs Valerie Shaikly

Lay summary:

In organ transplantation every effort is made to genetically match a new donor organ with the recipient so that the organ is not rejected by the recipient's immune system. An embryo carries half its genes from its father, which are different to the mother, but in a successful pregnancy the baby is not rejected. There are many ways in which a foetus is protected from the mother's immune system; if they do not work properly this may cause failure of the embryo to implant or loss of early pregnancy. The Major Histocompatability Complex (MHC) is an important part of our immune system and there is a growing body of evidence to show that it is important in reproduction. In this research we will study the molecules of the MHC that embryos produce, one such molecule called HLA-G has been shown to be related to enhanced embryo cleavage and implantation rates of embryos. This study will also investigate how these molecules function by examining their expression and distribution in embryos at different stages of development.
 
It is hoped that this work will find 'markers' that can be used to help identify the best embryos to put back at the time of embryo transfer as well as furthering the knowledge and understanding of the role of MHC in embryo development.
 
When going through an IVF cycle it is usual to have more embryos than can be transferred back. This allows a choice of embryos for transfer and any good quality embryos remaining to be frozen for future use. Embryos that are not suitable for freezing usually stop growing and are then discarded. It is these embryos that are usually discarded that can be used for this research as well as frozen embryos that patients no longer require and donate to research. Embryos allocated to this project will be placed in a solution so that they are no longer viable before the cellular molecules are investigated.