Association of abnormal morphology and altered gene expression in human preimplantation embryos

Appropriate gene expression is vital for the regulation of metabolic pathways and key developmental events. Our data indicates a possible causal relationship between changes in gene expression and the formation of clinically relevant abnormal embryo morphologies. We hypothesize that embryos with expression profiles characteristic of good morphology and appropriate for their developmental stage have the greatest potential for implantation. If confirmed, this could lead to a new generation of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) tests for assessing embryo viability and predicting implantation potential.