Summary of Researchers Discovers New Way To Reverse Infertility:
Scientists at Houston Methodist have successfully reversed infertility in mice by reducing high cholesterol levels using a bacterial protein called serum opacity factor. This breakthrough reinforces the link between high cholesterol and female infertility, offering potential future treatment options for women struggling to conceive. The protein lowered cholesterol levels by over 40% in three hours and could be an alternative to statins. In preclinical experiments, the researchers engineered an adeno-associated virus to deliver the gene for serum opacity factor to the mice, which restored their fertility. The next step is a clinical study to investigate lipid levels in women undergoing treatments for idiopathic infertility.
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Houston Methodist Scientists Reverse Infertility in Infertile Mice by Reducing High Cholesterol Levels
Infertility affects one in eight couples in the United States, with nearly one in five women of reproductive age struggling to conceive after a year of trying. A breakthrough by researchers at Houston Methodist offers a potential future treatment option for these women. They successfully restored fertility in infertile mice by lowering their high cholesterol levels using a bacterial protein called serum opacity factor.
Serum opacity factor initiates a biochemical cascade that gets rid of excess cholesterol. Houston Methodist’s bacterial protein reduced cholesterol by over 40% in three hours. The protein also alters the structure of cholesterol-carrying high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), making it easier for the liver to dispose of the excess cholesterol that prevents conception.
The researchers also noted that serum opacity factor’s dramatic action on HDL could be leveraged as an alternative to statins, the current gold standard for lowering cholesterol in people with atherosclerosis.
Understanding HDL and LDL cholesterol
HDL, known as the “good cholesterol,” carries excess cholesterol from various tissues to the liver for breakdown, thereby reducing cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, if there is HDL dysfunction, lipid metabolism gets altered, which could be harmful, like its counterpart LDL or low-density lipoprotein. Often called “bad cholesterol,” LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to other tissues, with high levels causing accumulation and diseases.
Study Details
To study HDL dysfunction, the researchers worked with preclinical mouse models with unnaturally high levels of HDL cholesterol circulating in their bloodstream. While this made them ideal for studying atherosclerosis, these mice were also entirely sterile. Feeding the infertile mice with a lipid-lowering drug temporarily rescued them from infertility.
Motivated by these results, the team turned to the bacterial protein serum opacity factor, which is highly selective for HDL. When the gene was expressed, and the bacterial protein was produced, the animals’ HDL cholesterol levels significantly lowered, and their fertility was restored.
Next Steps
Based on these results, the researchers plan to conduct a clinical study investigating lipid levels in women undergoing treatments for idiopathic infertility, where the underlying causes are unknown. If these patients have high HDL levels, then serum opacity factor may be a line of future treatment.
Conclusion
The Houston Methodist team’s next step is to conduct a clinical study to investigate the potential of serum opacity factor as a future treatment option. This discovery strengthens the link between high cholesterol and female infertility, offering hope for those struggling to conceive. Rosales said, “Even if we were to help 1% of women struggling to conceive, it would be life-changing for them, and I think that’s where we can make the most impact with our research.”‘
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