Potential predictors of in vitro embryo development: correlation between granulosa cells gene expression, embryo morphokynetic, blastocysts formation and euploidy

The ability to predict competence of in vitro cultured embryos is one of the main aim of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Searching for novel biomarkers to predict embryo developmental and reproductive competence, many Authors focused their attention on cumulus cells, which surround the oocyte during follicuologenesis. Due to the bidirectional communication between cumulus cells and the oocyte, the cumulus cells transcriptome has been proposed to mirror oocyte competence. The purpose of the present paper is to report some examples of cumulus cells gene expression patterns investigated as putative biomarkers of oocyte competence, aiming at assessing whether a correlation exists with embryo development up to blastocysts stage. Additionally, the possibility of combine cumulus cells gene expression with other embryo competence biomarkers, such as morphokinetics parameters and chromosomal comprehensive analysis, has been reviewed.