A Comprehensive Molecular Map of Human Ovaries Across Life Stages for the Development of Novel Fertility and Ovarian Reserve Markers

Human fertility rates have declined below the population replacement rate in every EU member state, with the age of first-time mothers increasing to 30-years.

Maternal age significantly impacts population growth because, biologically, women are the limiting factor in human reproduction.

A fertile woman produces only around 400 mature oocytes in her lifetime, whereas a fertile man produces approximately 1,500 sperms per second. Oocytes are precious and rare cells that constitute the bottleneck of human reproduction. Despite the critical importance of healthy oocytes, our understanding of human ovaries remains poor.

In this project, we aim to address this knowledge gap by detailed molecular and cellular mapping of human ovaries, where our preliminary studies have uncovered significant, previously unknown biology, including novel follicle types, growth factors and genetic variations.

We aim to expand this work by utilizing the latest spatial omics methodologies to develop a comprehensive molecular map of human ovaries from birth to menopause.

Furthermore, we will functionally characterize the newly discovered follicle types, analyze their roles in fertility, and develop new methods for assessing ovarian health in clinical settings. Declining fertility rates create not only a demographic crisis but also profound grief on an individual level.

This project aims to generate the information desperately needed to better assess fertility and treat infertility in women.