Project description
Solving the molecular mysteries of female reproductive ageing
In developed countries, modern lifestyles often prompt women to delay childbirth, with the average age of first-time mothers in Europe now surpassing 30. However, delayed motherhood correlates with a decline in women’s reproductive potential, leading to difficulties in conception, increased miscarriage rates, and higher risks of chromosomal abnormalities in offspring. This decline is primarily attributed to the ageing of oocytes, the reproductive cells, which gradually lose quality and fertilisation potential over time. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the FRASP project uses advanced techniques like multiOMICS to analyse RNA, protein and metabolites. The aim is to unravel the impact of these pathways on fertility. The project’s findings hold promise for future therapeutic interventions.
Objective
In developed countries, modern lifestyle often leads women to postpone their decision on when to have children. By 2022, the average age at which women in Europe give birth to their first child had crossed 30. Unfortunately, delayed motherhood is associated with a decline in women's reproductive potential, which can manifest as difficulties with conception, miscarriages, or an increased risk of delivering a child with chromosomal abnormalities. This decline is primarily attributed to the fact that oocytes, the reproductive cells, gradually lose their quality and fertilization potential with age.
The primary object of the FRASP (Female Reproductive Ageing - Signalling Pathways) Proposal is to gain insights into why oocytes lose their reproductive capacity as women age. Recently, several signalling pathways have been identified to be involved in the aging of oocytes and the cumulus cells that directly surround and interact with them. However, our current understanding remains limited, and this knowledge may not have an immediate impact in the near future.
This Proposal aims to comprehensively analyse the signalling pathways responsible for aging in oocytes and cumulus cells derived from mice. To achieve this, we will employ a range of high-throughput techniques comprising for multiOMICS approach. Signalling pathways will be investigated at the RNA, protein, and metabolite levels. Additionally, we will explore how these pathways influence the outcome of fertilisation. We believe that our approach will provide a profound understanding of the intricate molecular mechanisms that occur during oocyte aging, ultimately offering potential molecular targets for therapeutic interventions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsRNA
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Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
17004 Girona
Spain