Masterminding Reproduction: Kisspeptin and RFamide-Related Peptide. There are a number of concerning trends in reproductive health. Women are reporting difficulty conceiving and maintaining pregnancies; while sperm count and quality are declining in men. More concerning is the increase in reproductive cancers. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and agonist have been used for decades to treat reproductive cancers (such as breast cancer and prostate cancer), infertility and precociou ....Masterminding Reproduction: Kisspeptin and RFamide-Related Peptide. There are a number of concerning trends in reproductive health. Women are reporting difficulty conceiving and maintaining pregnancies; while sperm count and quality are declining in men. More concerning is the increase in reproductive cancers. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and agonist have been used for decades to treat reproductive cancers (such as breast cancer and prostate cancer), infertility and precocious puberty. Kisspeptin and RF-related peptide may offer more physiological alternatives to GnRH, without detrimental side effects. We will fully explore these two newly defined and major players in reproduction and provide a physiological framework for their progression to clinical use.Read moreRead less
Estrogen signalling in gonadotropes. Estrogen action is a normal prerequisite for cyclic function of reproduction in the female, but little is known about how this important hormone acts in the relevant cells of the pituitary gland (gonadotropes). In order to gain information on normal function, we will conduct studies on gonadotropes treated with estrogen in a range of paradigms. The information will be valuable in understanding normal reproduction, but will also form the basis of further studi ....Estrogen signalling in gonadotropes. Estrogen action is a normal prerequisite for cyclic function of reproduction in the female, but little is known about how this important hormone acts in the relevant cells of the pituitary gland (gonadotropes). In order to gain information on normal function, we will conduct studies on gonadotropes treated with estrogen in a range of paradigms. The information will be valuable in understanding normal reproduction, but will also form the basis of further studies to investigate the effects of drugs that affect estrogen action and environmental estrogens. Read moreRead less