Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is vital for egg development, female fertility and health, and is widely used in assisted reproduction technology. But high levels of FSH are associated with premature infertility and menopause, and may lead to diseases like ovarian cancer. Understanding the biological pathways activated by elevated FSH may lead to new treatments for infertility and ovarian diseases (eg. cancer), as well as advancing new strategies for contraception.
Macrophages In Developmental Programming Of Reproductive Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$532,386.00
Summary
Programming of reproductive health in women begins long before sexual maturity. Development during childhood, puberty and adulthood produces a fully functional reproductive system capable of conceiving, gestating and nurturing a child. This project will investigate the role of immune cells known as macrophages in the reproductive system, and investigate how their disruption might influence developmental programming and have lifetime consequences for the reproductive health of the individual.