For example, many aspects of the coculture technique could be altered, such as using a different cell line, a different medium, smaller droplets for culture, changing the medium more frequently, or other changes. By varying the usual coculture techniques, we might obtain a further improvement in embryonic development over what is currently possible. A practical problem with research in this area is that studies using variations on standard techniques are relatively easy to perform using animal embryos, but studies using human embryos are problematic to set up and implement. Results from coculture studies done with animal embryos will not necessarily be applicable to IVF with human embryos. Much has been learned about coculture both for animal in vitro embryo culture and for in vitro culture in the human as well.
Studies continue to attempt to discover exactly how coculture improves embryonic development.
If the cells make certain products that stimulate development of healthier embryos, these products might be able to be produced commercially and added to conventional culture media. It is possible that pure and exactly defined chemical media might someday be so improved as compared to what is now in use that coculture would not offer any increase in pregnancy rates, even for poor prognosis patients. However, we do not appear to be at that point today. Further coculture research is needed. There are many published studies on coculture in the medical literature.