From youthful vigor to maternal wisdom: signaling pathways in oocyte aging

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.