Within healthy ovaries, granulosa cells supply developing oocytes with nutrients and secrete hormones that regulate their further development. Without those cells’ support, oogenesis can’t occur, rendering an animal infertile. However, scientists at Kyoto University found a way to restore granulosa function in mice bred to have a granulosa-impairing mutation, according to research published April 27 in Cell Reports Medicine. They say the approach could someday lead to new infertility treatments for humans as well.
The experimental mice were bred to have silenced Kitl genes, which produce a molecule that mediates communication between oocytes and granulosa and fosters ovarian follicle development. In the absence of Kitl expression, oogenesis was prevented in female mice. Conceptually, developing a gene therapy to deliver a functional Kitl copy was simple, lead author and Kyoto University molecular geneticist Takashi Shinohara explains. However, figuring out a delivery mechanism that could actually reach the granulosa cells was difficult ...
