Improving oocyte and embryo competence assessment through granulosa cells transcriptome analysis

The identification of new non-invasive biomarkers to assess oocyte and embryo quality are needed to increase the efficiency of Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART). Cumulus (CCs) and Mural Granulosa cells (MGCs) are closely related to the oocyte during folliculogenesis and are potentially a mirror of oocyte quality. In particular, the transcriptomic of these cells could be used as candidate biomarkers of embryo competence. The purpose of this review is to summarize the recent literature about CCs and MGCs gene expression correlated to different embryological and/or clinical outcomes. Although promising results are reported, the different endpoints and methodologies used in the studies, prevent to reach a general consensus on which genes can be predictive of oocyte health. Multivariate predictive model, controlled for confounding factors are needed.