This research deals with the interaction between the reproductive system and the immune system, providing a unique perspective on two biological systems that are normally considered separately. This research may help to improve the treatment of infertility, reproductive tract infections and testicular cancer, but may also lead to new treatments for inflammatory diseases that hospitalise or kill many thousands of patients each year, and for preventing graft failure in transplant recipients.
Interferon Epsilon, A Key Cytokine In The Pathophysiology Of The Female Reproductive Tract Mucosa
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$793,303.00
Summary
The female reproductive tract is a complex environment, which permits pregnancy but protects against infections, all under the influence of hormones and the resident microbial flora. We have discovered a novel protein called interferon epsilon that acts on cells in the female reproductive tract to regulate protection against infections. We aim to discover how this new protein works and will determine its therapeutic potential in infections and inflammatory diseases affecting women's health.
This study aims to determine the extent to which semen is important in initiating the maternal immune response to the fetus and placenta during pregnancy. We postulate that exposure to paternal proteins in sperm and other factors present in the semen may have a cumulative, beneficial effect in 'educating' the female immune system to respond in the correct way to the embryo when pregnancy occurs. To investigate this, the behaviour and movements of white blood cells responding to semen will be stu ....This study aims to determine the extent to which semen is important in initiating the maternal immune response to the fetus and placenta during pregnancy. We postulate that exposure to paternal proteins in sperm and other factors present in the semen may have a cumulative, beneficial effect in 'educating' the female immune system to respond in the correct way to the embryo when pregnancy occurs. To investigate this, the behaviour and movements of white blood cells responding to semen will be studied during the period after mating, in which the uterus prepares for and accommodates to pregnancy. In particular, the study will focus on the roles of a specific chemical messenger substance in semen, called transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, which triggers the molecular changes leading to maternal immune tolerance. A deeper understanding of these events will have an important impact in human and veterinary medicine where implantation failure is a major cause of reproductive loss and inadequate placental growth poses a threat to the health of the conceptus both in utero and into adult life.Read moreRead less
I am a reproductive biologist whose research is focussed around understanding how the early events of conception and embryo development are controlled. Critical aspects of my research are to determine the consequences to pregnancy and adult health if the
The Importance Of The Blood-testis Barrier In Human Infertility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,953.00
Summary
The blood-testis barrier (BTB) shields developing sperm from the circulation and immune system, which would see them as ‘foreign’. Loss of BTB function leads directly to infertility. Curiously, how the BTB ‘opens’ and ‘closes’ to allow entry without causing a ‘leak’ is unknown. We believe that activin A is the main gatekeeper, but this growth factor is also important in inflammation. Our goals are to show how activin A allows sperm cells entry, and how inflammatory diseases impact the BTB.
The normal processes of development of the embryo require that the information encoded in chromosomes be reprogrammed soon after fertilization. This process is rather fragile and disturbance of the early embryo can upset it. Recent studies for the chief investigator's provide new understanding of the normal processes of reprogramming. The project will explore and validate the implications of these new discoveries and provide a basis for future alleviation of abnormalities to development.
A BubR1-centred Network For Non-invasively Measuring Human Oocyte Quality
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$532,207.00
Summary
Oocyte quality is the most important determinant of pregnancy outcome. Selecting the best oocytes for fertility treatments like IVF would therefore greatly improve success rates and reduce costs. We have identified master oocyte regulators and have applied novel digital technology to measure these regulators in a single oocyte. This project will apply this expertise to develop new approaches for evaluating an oocyte’s potential thereby informing its suitability for use in fertility treatment.