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๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan /Health & Science

Taiwanese team finds key to infertility, potentially extending prime reproductive age

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A research team led by National Chung Cheng University has identified the length of primary cilia in the uterus as a key factor for embryo implantation.
  • The study found that restoring the length of these cilia, which shorten with age and are reduced in women with endometriosis, could significantly improve pregnancy rates.
  • This discovery offers new avenues for drug development and diagnostic assessments for infertility, potentially overcoming the limitations of the prime reproductive age.

Infertility affects one in six couples in Taiwan, posing a significant national challenge. While government subsidies for IVF exist, achieving pregnancy remains difficult for many.

A research team, headed by National Chung Cheng University President Tsai Shao-cheng, has identified a crucial factor for successful embryo implantation: the length of primary cilia within the uterine lining. These cilia, described as antenna-like structures, determine whether the uterine environment is ready to accept an embryo.

Primary cilia can determine whether the uterine environment is ready to accept an embryo.

โ€” Hou Huan-tzuHou Huan-tzu, the study's first author and a postdoctoral researcher at National Cheng Kung University's Institute of Physiology, explained the function of primary cilia.

The study, supported by the National Science and Technology Council for four years, found that primary cilia shorten with age and are significantly fewer and shorter in women with endometriosis. This shortening is linked to elevated levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ฮฒ1) in the uterine environment.

The primary cilia shorten with age, and women with endometriosis have significantly fewer and shorter primary cilia in their uterine cells.

โ€” Hou Huan-tzuHou Huan-tzu further elaborated on the factors affecting cilia length and their link to infertility.

Promisingly, the team discovered that existing drugs used for cancer and skin treatments, which inhibit TGF-ฮฒ1 signaling, can restore the length of primary cilia. In mouse trials, this led to a remarkable increase in pregnancy rates from 70% to 100%. This breakthrough could potentially extend the reproductive window beyond the current "golden age" of 35.

Further collaboration with National Cheng Kung University Hospital revealed that women who successfully conceived had uterine cells with longer and more numerous primary cilia. Analyzing cilia length and proportion can predict pregnancy rates with over 80% accuracy, aiding in determining the optimal time for embryo transfer and boosting conception success.

This research is the first globally to reveal the key role of primary cilia in uterine receptivity and offers new directions for drug development and diagnostic assessments for infertility.

โ€” National Science and Technology CouncilThe National Science and Technology Council commented on the significance of the research findings.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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