Macrophage-regulated tissue remodelling in endometrial receptivity for embryo implantation and pregnancy success

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/399105

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Infertility and recurrent miscarriage affect 60-80 million couples globally, including 15% of couples in Australia. Moreover, 1 in 6 pregnancies is affected by pre-eclampsia, low birth weight or preterm labour. Infertility and other pathologies in pregnancy often result from failure of the maternal tissues to adequately support embryo implantation and development of the placenta, leading to insufficient nutritional support of the developing fetus. We have discovered in mice that disruption in the populations of immune cells called macrophages within the uterine endometrial lining can reduce the receptivity of the endometrum to embryo implantation, and can lead to fetal growth retardation and impaired health after birth. The purpose of this project is to delineate the precise functions of macrophages in interacting with other cells in the endometrium to facilitate attachment of the embryo, its invasion into maternal tissues, and its access to an adequate blood supply as the placenta develops during early pregnancy. We will employ state of the art experimental strategies including genetic models to deplete endometrial macrophage populations in mice, and will then study the implications for changes in endometrial tissue structure and function. Furthermore we will investigate the long term consequences of early macrophage perturbations for the fetus and neonate after birth. This study will improve our understanding of how determinants of macrophage function such as infection and inflammatory conditions, male factors, nutrition and stress can impair fertility and compromise optimal pregnancy outcome in humans.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2006

End Date: 01-01-2008

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $456,779.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Reproduction

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Cellular interactions | Immunology not elsewhere identified | Obstetrics and Gynaecology | Pregnancy | Reproduction | endometrium | endothelial cell | implantation | macrophage | placenta

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