Infertility is a common struggle, affecting about 1 in 5 U.S. women, but despite its prevalence, it can still be a deeply isolating and painful journey.
One researcher from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Joy Winuthayanon, has recently received two grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will focus on unraveling the potential causes of infertility in women. The projects will explore two separate mechanisms in the female reproductive tract that may contribute to infertility.
The first project, a $411,539 grant, will focus on the oviduct ― more commonly known as the fallopian tube ― and how packages of cellular material from the mom reach and help the embryo develop. Specifically, the research will focus on how development is affected if these packages, called vesicles, don’t make it to the embryo.
“In vitro fertilization doesn’t have these vesicles because of the difference in how the embryo is created, but we know babies from IVF happen,” Winuthayanon said. “Our work will tell us how important the vesicles are to the embryo’s development.”
The second, a grant of $153,675, will examine how and why the disruption of a specific hormone, progesterone, inside the oviduct accelerates aging in the reproductive tract. In her past research, blocking this hormone made it harder to maintain a pregnancy, even if the subjects, the female mice, were of young, reproductive age.
“In the oviduct, there are small cells that normally help move the fertilized egg to its appropriate place. Progesterone is important for that process and critical for a successful pregnancy,” Winuthayanon said. “We want to know how and why this accelerated aging happens when progesterone is disrupted, and how this affects pregnancy outcomes.”
While both projects continue Winuthayanon’s search for answers on infertility, it’s also possible that these two mechanisms may not affect fertility in women at all. She says the more knowledge we have on not just fertility, but how the female reproductive system works will help inform future treatments.
“Infertility is more common than you think,” Winuthayanon said. “The more we know about it, the more we can talk about it, and if we can help uncover any unidentified cause, we can help these women suffering.”
Joy Winuthayanon, PhD is an associate professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health at the Mizzou School of Medicine and a NextGen Precision Health Investigator. Her research focuses on the female reproductive tract and how to establish an optimal environment for a successful pregnancy.
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