POMOLIM · Polycystic ovarian syndrome: novel molecular characterization and personalized in vitro maturation protocol.
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2020-04-01 → 2022-03-31
- EU contribution
- €166,320
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Polycystic ovarian syndrome: novel molecular characterization and personalized in vitro maturation protocol.
This research project aimed to perform a novel epigenomics and transcriptomics characterization of oocytes and cumulus cells from women with Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and develop a safe in vitro system that maintains their epigenetic and transcriptional integrity and improve the outcome of in vitro maturation (IVM) cycles in these patients. Human oocytes were donated by patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing fertility treatments and by healthy volunteers enrolled in a recruitment program. The molecular study of human PCOS oocytes is a very innovative topic and the originality of the granted project relies on the fact that very few research groups, if any, are able to study the human female gamete, given the limited access to this precious material. The results derived from this study can be implemented in the clinic and, therefore, can improve medical management strategies for patients. In addition, they could help to reduce the psychological burden and the high social security budget for infertility treatments in PCOS women.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the leading endocrine and metabolic disorder in women, with a prevalence of 5-20%. It is characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, polycystic ovarian morphology and infertility. Epigenetic factors have garnered attention in the pathogenesis of PCOS since changes in DNA methylation and gene expression have been reported in various tissues. Whether these alterations are also found in PCOS oocytes remains unknown. Cumulus cells (CCs) are specialized cells that maintain paracrine signals and cell-to-cell communications with the oocyte to support the acquisition of competence to derive an embryo. This crosstalk is important in PCOS since the reduced oocyte competence is considered the potential causative factor of infertility. PCOS women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments suffer greater sensitivity to hormonal treatments, which can lead to a high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation. In vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes has been introduced in the human fertility clinic as a mild-approach alternative to conventional IVF as it requires minimal stimulation of the ovaries. However, there is a need to further develop a better protocol that curtails the 30% gap efficiency existing between IVM and IVF. This project aims to 1) generate DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of PCOS oocytes and paired CCs using single-cell and low-cell parallel sequencing, 2) create an improved, safe and robust IVM system that can increase oocyte competence for these patients and 3) define the molecular pathways that are differentially regulated in oocytes and CCs after in vitro maturation. The project will benefit from the experience in fertility treatments and safety assessment of the host supervisors, Profs. Smitz and Anckaert. The access to human material will be granted by the home institution. In addition, a secondment in Dr. Kelsey’s laboratory (Cambridge, UK) will provide pioneering single-cell technologies.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL · Bruxelles / BrusselCoordinatorBelgium
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union