A Systems Biology Approach to Elucidate the Process of Blastocyst Implantation

A linear application of simplistic, largely deterministic and logically reliable model of operations has, in past, held the notion that three primary modules are integral to the physiological process of blastocyst implantation in the human: endometrial competence, adequate progesterone priming, and viable endometrium – embryo dialogue (1, 2). However, blastocyst implantation is not a highly programmed process; it is rather a complex physiological process. Like any complex biological process, blastocyst implantation is dependent on nonlinear interaction of multiple modules and motifs with specific time and space contexts. These operational characteristics collectively attribute to the emerging property of a robust order in the system (3). Our knowledge about the process underlying the control system of blastocyst implantation is very thin (4). We now propose that a large scale time course study of transcript profiles in adequately hormone primed competent endometrium in the presence of ageand stage-matched synchronous and viable embryo may divulge the nature of interaction networks of transcriptomes and their factorial regulation. We believe that deduction of such a large scale expressional networks dynamics shall provide a better picture of the process and possibly open up novel areas of basic, strategic and translational research in blastocyst implantation. We also provide the proof of principle by using deductively selected gene products based transcript profiles in receptive endometrium of the rhesus monkey.