Uterine disorders and persistent inflammation of the endometrium are among the main causes of infertility in mammals. In livestock species, such as the dairy cow, these disorders shorten life through premature culling. This impacts animal welfare and herd economy, thus impairing the sustainability of the production system. The aim of this project is to design new approaches for the diagnosis of sub-clinical and persistent inflammations of the endometrium.
We plan to use candidates identified from preliminary work and to identify additional targets as pertinent markers from in vitro models. Their role in the mechanisms leading to infertility and their potential use as in vivo markers for diagnosis or treatment of persistent inflammation of the endometrium will be evaluated. The results of these studies may be also the source of refined phenotyping in view of genomic selection for reproductive robustness. Results should benefit farmers and their animals, clinicians and the breeding industry. As uterine diseases and idiopathic infertility affects other species and as processes leading to persistent inflammation may be common to different tissues, a wider societal impact may be expected.
The project is funded by: FORMAS. Project no: 2015-9952-30713-60
Duration of the project: 2016-01-01 -- 2018-12-31
Project Leader: Patrice Humblot
Other contributors: Göran Andersson, Erik Bongcam-Rudloff, Jean Francois Valarcher, Jane Morrell, Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez, and Renée Båge
Laskowski D, Sjunnesson Y, Humblot P, Sirard MA, Andersson G, Gustafsson H, Båge R. (2017). Insulin exposure during in vitro bovine oocyte maturation changes blastocyst gene expression and developmental potential.
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 29(5), 876-889. doi.org/10.1071/RD15315
Laskowski D, Båge R, Humblot P, Andersson G, Sirard M-A, Sjunnesson Y. (2017). Insulin during in vitro oocyte maturation has an impact on development, mitochondria, and cytoskeleton in bovine Day 8 blastocysts. Theriogenology 101: 15-25.