During in vitro fertilization, embryos deemed clinically useless based on poor morphology are typically discarded. Here we demonstrate a statistical correlation between the developmental stage of such poor-quality embryos and the yield of human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines. Early-arrested or highly fragmented embryos only rarely yield cell lines, whereas those that have achieved blastocyst stage are a robust source of normal hES cells.

1. Division of Newborn Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston, Karp Family Research Building 7214, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
2. Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
3. Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
4. Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
5. Division of Women's and Perinatal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
6. Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Karp Family Research Building 7214, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
7. Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Karp Family Research Building 7214, 300 Longwood Avenue, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
8. Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Karp Family Research Building 7214, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Correspondence to: George Q Daley⁷ e-mail: george.daley@childrens.harvard.edu

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