Model Behaviour

Even in the earliest stages of pregnancy problems can occur. As the newly formed embryo attaches to the lining of the womb, called the endometrium, the lining changes to prepare for pregnancy. During this transformation some cells stop dividing in a process called senescence. When this happens in excess it can lead to recurrent miscarriages, and when senescence is lacking embryos can fail to implant properly. To further our knowledge of these early moments of pregnancy, researchers have developed a new model of the human endometrium which, when hormones are added, mimics the implantation environment. Using a drug called dasatinib to eliminate senescent cells, the team captured a time-lapse of a replica implantation failure, where cell movement towards the embryo stopped, and the embryo failed to expand. In the future this model could be used to test potential treatments for pregnancy disorders.

Written by Katy Pallister

Katy Pallister

Writer

Katy is a freelance science educator, presenter, writer and producer based in London. She is a former Engagement and Events Officer at the MRC LMS.

• Video from work by Thomas M Rawlings and colleagues
• Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, September 2021