Therapeutic Potential Of Transforming Growth Factor-beta Proteins For The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Female Infertility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$942,961.00
Summary
We discovered and manufactured a growth factor produced uniquely by the egg. We named this growth factor cumulin. It is a powerful regulator of ovarian function and egg quality. This project will study the basic mechanisms of how cumulin works in the ovary. We will then develop an assay to measure it as a biomarker of human egg quality and quantity. New approaches in fertility preservation for cancer survivors will be developed using cumulin.
Activation Of GDF9 Regulates Human Folliculogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$531,690.00
Summary
GDF9 is a key regulator of fertility in female mammals, as it controls the process of folliculogenesis. In this grant, we will demonstrate the importance of GDF9 in human folliculogenesis, determine the mechanisms that activate GDF9 and show why aberrant GDF9 activation leads to ovarian disorders. Collectively, the outcomes of this proposal will increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that regulate ovarian folliculogenesis and provide new avenues to manipulate this process.
Development Of Engineered Novel Growth Factors For Infertility Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,439.00
Summary
Infertility comes at an enormous social and financial cost to Australian society. The aim of this proposal is to improve the success rate of an innovative technology that matures eggs in the laboratory and so eliminates the need for the hormones normally used in IVF. To achieve this a newly discovered egg-secreted protein first has to be produced in the laboratory.
Dr Gilchrist is a reproductive biologist studying factors that regulate the intrinsic quality of unfertilised eggs. He has developed a new form of hormone-free infertility treatment which he will test in a clinical trial over the next 5 years.
Growth Factors And Regulatory Genes Controlling Male Spermatogonial Proliferation And Differentiation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,536.00
Summary
In newborn and prepubertal boys the testis contains germ cells which are at a premature stage of development and very suseptible to degeneration especially if the testes fail to descend to the scrotum. The molecules which are responsible for the health of these germ cells have been unknown and only recently the way has been opened for direct study of these factors. This has been made possible by a new assay, developed in our labarotory, in which we can grow these germ cells under defined conditi ....In newborn and prepubertal boys the testis contains germ cells which are at a premature stage of development and very suseptible to degeneration especially if the testes fail to descend to the scrotum. The molecules which are responsible for the health of these germ cells have been unknown and only recently the way has been opened for direct study of these factors. This has been made possible by a new assay, developed in our labarotory, in which we can grow these germ cells under defined conditions. This step forward has highlighted some areas of knowledge which need further research such as identification of the processes which stimulate gonocytes to grow and divide. We need to test growth factors, somatic cell factors and also isolate new genes which are associated with germ cells and their growth. This knowledge will have outcomes in two major areas. First, the new findings could be applied to treatment of infertility resulting from undescended testes in which a stimulus could be given to make the germ cells grow again. Second, work in developing longer term culture of germ cells coupled with introduction of mutations will enable us to make mutant mice with a specific gene abnormality, similar to transgenic or gene knockout mice. This technological development would prove less expensive and time consuming with more reproducible and direct outcomes. Mutant mouse technology is a powerful tool to determine the effects of individual genes in the whole animal (mouse).Read moreRead less
I am a basic scientist with an interest in the cellular biology of the ovary, and the roles of the matrix between cells of the ovary in controlling fertility and hormone synthesis.
Katanin P80 Is A Key Regulator Of Microtubule Dynamics And Male Fertility.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$603,756.00
Summary
Male fertility is a complex process requiring the co-ordinated activation of thousands of gene products. It is not surprising therefore that 1 in 15 Australian men are infertile. This project will explore an essential pathways for sperm production, specifically related to sperm shaping and motility. This work may ultimately have implications for the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility, but also for pathology in tissues will similar cellular structures.
The Role Of Stem-progenitor Cells In Regeneration Of Mouse Endometrium.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,938.00
Summary
The endometrium (lining of the uterus) undergoes breakdown and re-growth each month as part of the menstrual cycle. This restorative process is not well understood. For the first time stem cells have been identified within human endometrium that are likely to be responsible for its remarkable regeneration. The aim of this project is to identify stem cells within the mouse endometrium, to use as a model to understand how the endometrium restores each month after menstruation.