Conference: Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI), March 7-10, 2018, San Diego, California, USA.
Conference Highlight: The meeting provided a valuable update on significant questions, emerging concepts and innovative technologies in reproductive sciences, in a format that encouraged more meaningful dialogue among clinicians and researchers.
Conference Summary: A key development, which was the highlight of the conference, was the generation of embryo-like structures from mouse stem cells. It was reported that trophoblast and embryonic stem cells cooperate in vitro to form structures that morphologically and transcriptionally resemble embryonic day 3.5 blastocysts, termed blastoids.
Dr. Randy Schekman, 2013 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine gave the distinguished lecture talk, “How Cells Export Proteins.” He described how extracellular or secreted proteins are conveyed within the cell along a highway system called the secretory pathway, composed of a network of membranes that transfer proteins in capsules called vesicles from deep inside the cell to the cell perimeter.
The most studied topics at the conference included assisted reproductive technologies and future health, viral infections in pregnancy, the critical and varied roles of the maternal immune system and placenta in the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy, the role of microbiota on fetal health and disease and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescence.
One of the impactful presentations was regarding the use of bone marrow derived stem cell infusion, as a therapeutic approach to increase the reproductive potential of patients with impaired ovarian function.
Another interesting talk on the use of artificial sweeteners during pregnancy suggested that the consumption of artificial sweeteners was associated with maternal metabolic dysfunction; and induced fetal growth restriction, and hence may not be a beneficial alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages.