Embyro implantation: A team led by the Indian Council of Medical Research has identified a molecular “switch” that helps an embryo embed in the uterine lining, an essential first step for pregnancy. The work, published in Cell Death Discovery, pinpoints two genes, HOXA10 and TWIST2, that act in tandem to briefly make the womb’s inner surface receptive at the precise site where the embryo arrives.
Researchers from ICMR–National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (Mumbai), Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi) and the Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru) combined molecular biology, genomics and mathematical modelling for the study.
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According to the corresponding author, Dr Deepak Modi, HOXA10 normally keeps the uterine “gate” shut. When an embryo makes contact, HOXA10 is transiently downregulated at the site, allowing TWIST2 to turn on and soften the local cells, enabling implantation.
The team demonstrated this HOXA10–TWIST2 sequence across mice, hamsters, monkeys and human cells, suggesting a conserved mechanism in mammals. “Understanding this switch may explain recurrent implantation failure or very early pregnancy loss despite healthy embryos,” said ICMR-NIRRCH Director Dr Geetanjali Sachdeva. She added that tuning the balance between the two genes could inform future strategies to improve IVF success, since too little opening blocks implantation, while too much may jeopardise a pregnancy.