The History, Opportunities and Prospects of Time-Lapse Technologies in the Study of Early Human Embryonic Development

Abstract

Despite advances in assisted reproductive technologies, the high failure rate of existing stimulation protocols remains a key industry challenge. One of the leading reasons for this is the limited ability to assess the biological potential of the embryo and its chances of implantation. Over the past ten years, the focus of attention in reproductive technologies has significantly shifted from the patient to the embryo, since the need to improve their effectiveness stimulates the need to understand the deep processes of early development of the embryo. In order to increase the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization procedures in clinical embryology, high-tech methods of culturing and evaluating embryos are being introduced and improved. The purpose of the review is to demonstrate the history, possibilities and prospects in the study of early human embryonic development of time-lapse imaging technology. The active study and use of the capabilities of the time-lapse slow-motion technology allowed not only to expand the understanding of the processes of early development of the embryo, but also at the current moment allows us to assess its potential from the point of view of both biological and clinical perspectives. The main advantages of this method are the possibility of morphological assessment during the continuous cultivation of embryos in closed-type incubators without their extraction, as well as the determination of the exact time intervals of key events of the stages of embryo development with special attention to those moments that are not available for observation and fixation under conditions of traditional cultivation. clinical practice. The main point of growth for the development of time-lapse imaging technology was the creation and validation of the so-called morphokinetic criteria and algorithms for assessing the quality of developing embryos. The key perspective of the method is its use in combination with elements of artificial intelligence in order to predict the most potential embryo for transfer into the uterine cavity. Modern directions of research using the method of time-lapse shooting are the continuation of the development of morphokinetic algorithms and their effective criteria, the introduction of the technology of self-learning computer programs and the adaptation of these tools in clinical practice, the search and assessment of possible factors influencing the morphokinetics of embryos, quality control of the work of embryological laboratories. The future development of such technologies is presented in combination not only with the capabilities of artificial intelligence, but also in combination with the use of non-invasive genetic screening, the assessment of metabolomics and proteomics of developing embryos.