Insulin Resistance In Polycystic Ovary Syndrome And The Role Of Skeletal Muscle And Adipose Tissue
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$416,115.00
Summary
11% of women have polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS), characterised by insulin resistance, irregular periods and infertility. These women are prone to obesity, diabetes and potentially, heart disease. Treatments include lifestyle modifications +-- medical therapy. Lifestyle is first line, yet the best diet-exercise prescription is unclear. This study will provide insights into the cause of PCOS, will inform on the role of exercise in therapy and may identify targets for future therapies.
Inflammatory Cytokines As Causal Agents In Peri-conception Programming Of Offspring Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,046.00
Summary
Events at conception set the trajectory of fetal developmental that will determine health of children after birth and in later life. Susceptibility to obesity and metabolic conditions is established at this very early time. This project will define the molecular signals affecting the embryo in the event of maternal or paternal infection, diet and stress. The results will help us devise health advice for intending parents to improve child health and help prevent onset of metabolic disorders.
Risk Of Birth Defects In Children Born Following Infertility Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$191,962.00
Summary
The development of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for infertility treatment has advanced at a tremendous pace since late 1970's. The use of ART is becoming increasingly frequent, with Australia having one of the highest rates of use internationally. Over 4,000 births result from ART annually in Australia. At the same time, minimally invasive infertility treatment-ovulation induction and insemination, remains a main option for some infertile couples and also generates several thousand bir ....The development of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for infertility treatment has advanced at a tremendous pace since late 1970's. The use of ART is becoming increasingly frequent, with Australia having one of the highest rates of use internationally. Over 4,000 births result from ART annually in Australia. At the same time, minimally invasive infertility treatment-ovulation induction and insemination, remains a main option for some infertile couples and also generates several thousand births annually. A fundamental concern for those involved in infertility treatment is the health of the children born following the treatment. Evidence from many studies indicates that compared to the general population, ART babies are more likely to be a twin or triplet, have a low birth weight, be born premature, and suffer higher rates of perinatal death and cerebral palsy. These issues are gradually being addressed by transferring a single embryo in a cycle. Of greater concern is the recent reporting by a Western Australian team that the risk of major birth defects is doubled in ART children. This is a highly significant finding that has raised concern in patients and clinicians. It is imperative to verify the findings through replication in a larger study. It is equally important to identify whether the increased risk is due to potentially modifiable treatment factors or patient factors related to their infertility. This innovative study will therefore also separate patient characteristics and type of treatment, and partition the risk attributable to various factors. The health of children from infertility treatments is of fundamental concern and has become an important public health issue. This study will direct future basic research in embryology and clinical services where there is a continual need to balance technical innovation and efficacy with treatment safety. The long-term benefit will be improvement of the health status of Australian families.Read moreRead less
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-10% of women worldwide, yet its origins remain unknown. Androgens are implicated in the development of PCOS, but the decisive, invasive studies needed to confirm and elucidate their roles are not feasible in women. Hence, using our innovative mouse models of androgen resistant female mice, this study will determine the role of androgens in PCOS aiming to better understand, and identify new treatments for this common female reproductive disorder.
Studies Of The Dynamic Changes In The Ovarian Follicular Basal Lamina
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$305,557.00
Summary
In order for the ovary to be able to release eggs and produce hormones such as oestrogen, follicles must grow within the ovary. Each follicle contains one egg and when the follicle is large and filled with fluid it can rupture, releasing the fluid and egg in the process of ovulation. A key part of the structure of the follicle is a non-cellular layer called the basal lamina. This basal lamina encapsulates the inner cells, the egg and the fluid in the follicle. Each women has millions of follicle ....In order for the ovary to be able to release eggs and produce hormones such as oestrogen, follicles must grow within the ovary. Each follicle contains one egg and when the follicle is large and filled with fluid it can rupture, releasing the fluid and egg in the process of ovulation. A key part of the structure of the follicle is a non-cellular layer called the basal lamina. This basal lamina encapsulates the inner cells, the egg and the fluid in the follicle. Each women has millions of follicles prior to her birth, ten of thousands in her reproductive years, and none at the menopause. Since she only ovulates about 500 in her lifetime most follicles die during the process of growing to ovulatory size. This project will examine the follicular basal lamina in order to determine its role during follicle growth and development, and when follicles die. This has important implications for the many women who have polycystic ovarian disease, whose follicles fail to grow to full size. We will be examining these ovaries directly. The research also has importance in the next phase of IVF developments.Read moreRead less
The Role Of FSH And FF-MAS In The Induction Of Meiotic Resumption In The Oocyte
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,527.00
Summary
About one in six couples of reproductive age suffer from reproductive disorders. In a significant proportion of cases, reproductive failure is attributable to a variety of chromosomal and cellular anomalies displayed by the egg, which interfere with the process of fertilization or the capacity of the embryo to grow, implant or develop to term. Because the chances of success of each individual egg are very low, women undergoing IVF therapy are subjected to ovarian stimulation with drugs in order ....About one in six couples of reproductive age suffer from reproductive disorders. In a significant proportion of cases, reproductive failure is attributable to a variety of chromosomal and cellular anomalies displayed by the egg, which interfere with the process of fertilization or the capacity of the embryo to grow, implant or develop to term. Because the chances of success of each individual egg are very low, women undergoing IVF therapy are subjected to ovarian stimulation with drugs in order to produce many eggs, thereby increasing the success rate per treatment cycle. But stimulation of ovarian function involves a number of drawbacks including cost of fertility drugs, continued monitoring, discomfort and risk of complications (eg. ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome). It is evident that novel methods for the production of mature eggs in vitro in the absence of ovarian stimulation would mark a breakthrough, making assisted reproduction a more friendly discipline. In general, all IVF patients would benefit from in vitro maturation techniques. In particular, in selected patients (eg. those suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome) the advantages of this method might prove to be invaluable, by achieving production of fully viable eggs under controlled conditions, as opposed to in vivo where oocytes generally fail to acquire full competence, having been subjected to an unfavourable hormonal environment. Unfortunately, attempts to treat IVF patients using eggs matured in vitro has been disappointing so far, with only occasional pregnancies reported over the last decade. Clearly, this is due to lack of knowledge of the fundamental events occurring during egg maturation, as well as the paucity of biological material available for experimentation. So, to make in vitro maturation of eggs a successful fertility treatment we undoubtedly need to achieve a more profound insight into the function of the egg, the first step being to focus our attention upon experimental models.Read moreRead less
Reproductive health critically impacts a woman’s wellbeing, irrespective of her choice to have children. The ovary and its hormones govern physiological events regulating health at puberty, across the menstrual cycle, during the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, and in parturition, lactation and menopause. The major health burdens concerning ovaries that we are studying include polycystic ovarian syndrome and assisted reproductive technologies used to treat infertility.
EGF Peptide Signalling Improves Oocyte Maturation And Quality
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$586,891.00
Summary
Infertility is common and although IVF is widely accepted, the procedure is expensive and is associated with health risks. Using laboratory animals, we have developed significant new insights into mechanisms regulating egg quality. These insights have allowed us to develop a new approach to infertility treatment - crucially, one that eliminates the need for ovarian hormone therapy used in IVF. This project will investigate the basic mechanisms underlying our new approach to enable safe clinical ....Infertility is common and although IVF is widely accepted, the procedure is expensive and is associated with health risks. Using laboratory animals, we have developed significant new insights into mechanisms regulating egg quality. These insights have allowed us to develop a new approach to infertility treatment - crucially, one that eliminates the need for ovarian hormone therapy used in IVF. This project will investigate the basic mechanisms underlying our new approach to enable safe clinical implementation.Read moreRead less
Infertility is common and although IVF is widely accepted, the procedure is expensive and is associated with health risks. Using laboratory animals, we have made significant advances towards developing new technologies that can mature eggs and produce embryos in vitro, but without women receiving hormone injections. This project will seek means to combine the benefits of two of our existing technologies into one integrated system, to provide hormone-free infertility treatment.
Androgen Receptor Mechanims In Female Reproductive Physiology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$539,773.00
Summary
Infertility occurs in one in six Australian couples with 50% attributable to females, thus, enhancing our understanding of ovarian and uterine function is of great importance. This project tests the proposal that androgens (steroid hormones) play a major role in regulating female reproductive physiology through their interaction with the androgen receptor. We have developed novel mouse models which we will use to determine the roles of androgens in regulating female reproductive function.