Embryo transfer and related techniques in domestic animals, and their implications for human medicine

This report was commissioned by the Canadian government on the relevance of new techniques in animal embryology to the social, ethical and clinical applications of assisted human reproduction. It briefly describes the history of animal breeding, and the regulation of the female reproductive tract, ovulation and fertilization in laboratory and veterinary species. Embryo transfer is described in detail, including the synchronization of reproductive cycles, superovulation and embryo growth in vitro. Methods of experimental embryology, including bisection, sexing of spermatozoa and embryos, cloning and gene therapy are described. The relevance of these studies to human IVF are considered briefly.