Autophagy induction by sera from women undergoing an in vitro fertilization cycle varies with subsequent outcome

Autophagy is an intracellular process whereby nonfunctional proteins and defective organelles are degraded and its component parts returned to the cytoplasm for reutilization. Induction of autophagy at various stages of pre- and post- implantation fetal growth in animal models enhances embryo development and survival (Shin et al., 2014). Following implantation, autophagy is involved in trophoblast metabolism and formation of the placenta (Chen et al., 2012). We previously reported that sera from pregnant women induced autophagy in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (Kanninen et al., 2014).
Source: Journal of Reproductive Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Short communication Source Type: research