Prediction of high-quality human oocytes and embryos through the analysis of gene expression in cumulus cells

The selection of high-quality oocytes and preimplantation embryos is becoming increasingly important because of delaying childbearing due to socioeconomic and career planning reasons. Gene expression analysis of cumulus cells serves as a reliable indicator for assessing oocyte quality and resulting embryos owing to their close communication and bidirectional interactions with maturing oocytes. For this purpose, the expression of cumulus cell genes involved in cumulus expansion, extracellular matrix organization, intracellular signaling, cell proliferation, metabolism, and apoptosis has been evaluated to determine their associations with oocyte quality, embryo development, and pregnancy outcomes. Consequently, this review synthesizes current studies on the topic and discusses the potential of cumulus cell gene expression analysis in predicting oocyte competence and early embryonic developmental potential.