Reproductive Health Research Roundup
Latest advancements and key areas of focus
All the best for 2025! 🪩🧬
We are kicking off the year with an important snapshot of the state of Reproductive Health, written by a new AthenaDAO Contributor Subaita Rahman; the last few years supporting high impact early stage biotech companies. A core part of the work she does is around democratizing access to biotech and scientific innovation.
2024 marked an important year for reproductive health research, with breakthroughs from basic science to clinical care.
As we explore the year's most impactful developments - from cellular mapping breakthroughs to novel treatment protocols - we'll see how these advances are helping move the needle forward in the future of reproductive healthcare.
Mapping the Human Ovary 📍
University of Michigan researchers, as part of the broader Human Cell Atlas project mapping the female reproductive system, created a detailed ovarian atlas, offering a view into follicle development and hormone production.
Using advanced spatial transcriptomics, the team analyzed RNA sequences from five human donors, allowing them to track gene activity and its location within ovarian tissue.
This enabled researchers to perform the first-ever transcription analysis of ovarian follicles and oocytes, providing crucial information about egg development and maturation.
The atlas has revealed important findings about follicle behavior, particularly why most primordial follicles remain dormant in the ovary's cortex while only a small portion activate and migrate to the growing pool. This could pave the way for developing artificial ovaries.
International HERA Study Launches Ambitious Research into Women's Reproductive Aging 🤝
The Healthy Reproductive Ageing (HERA) study received a £5.6 million Wellcome Discovery Award in March 2024.
HERA integrates multiple research methodologies, combining genomic research in human populations with advanced cellular and organoid models that mimic human ovarian tissue.
Through CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in human cells, researchers will explore the regulatory landscape of the human genome across ovarian development and aging.
Additionally, the project aims to establish a knowledge portal for data sharing and develop new tools for researchers worldwide studying female reproductive health.
Novel Drug Combination Shows Promise for Rare Ovarian Cancer 💫
A study presented at the International Gynaecologic Cancer Society's annual meeting in October 2024 revealed significant progress in treating recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer.
The RAMP 201 study, led by Professor Susana Banerjee at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, found that combining avutometinib and defactinib led to tumor shrinkage or stabilization in 31% of 115 participants - a dramatic improvement over the 0-10% response rate typically seen with conventional treatments.
The drug combination proved particularly effective in patients with KRAS mutations, showing a 44% response rate.
Safety data was also encouraging, with only 10% of patients discontinuing treatment due to side effects, allowing for longer treatment periods and better outcomes.
Based on these promising results, Verastem Oncology plans to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA in October 2024, while researchers proceed with a larger phase 3 trial to compare this combination therapy against standard treatments.
Northwestern Study Reveals New Pathways to Extend Ovarian Health 🩺
Northwestern Medicine researchers potentially extended ovarian function through aging. In a study published in eLife, scientists identified long-lived proteins in mouse ovaries that play a crucial role in maintaining reproductive system health.
These proteins, particularly those found in mitochondria, persist for up to six months before degrading around the ten-month mark, suggesting they form an essential "scaffolding" for egg development and quality.
The research team, led by Francesca Duncan, PhD, discovered that these proteins are fundamental to the structural integrity of eggs and ovarian function. This finding is particularly significant because eggs must remain functional for decades in humans, making them vulnerable to accumulated damage over time.
The presence of these long-lived proteins, especially in mitochondria—the cell's energy producers—may be key to maintaining egg quality throughout reproductive years.
UCLH Leads Multiple Studies to Advance Women's Health Care 👩🔬
The POISE study led by Professor Melanie Davies at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), is addressing premature ovarian insufficiency, a condition affecting women under 40.
This research is comparing the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy against combined oral contraceptives, focusing on long-term outcomes such as bone density and cardiovascular health.
Another significant initiative examines treatment decisions for patients with differences of sex development or intersex conditions. Under Dr. Sophie Clarke's leadership, researchers are evaluating how various treatment approaches affect patients' long-term health and metabolic outcomes, incorporating patient perspectives to enhance care quality.
Simultaneously, the fertility research team, led by Mr. Dimitrios Mavrelos, is working to make fertility treatments more accessible through innovative approaches, including artificial intelligence for IVF monitoring and the development of Opt-IVF, a tool designed to personalize treatment protocols.
Artificial Egg Creation Offers New Hope for Fertility Treatment 🧫
A study published in Nature Medicine in March 2024 has achieved the successful creation of artificial eggs from human stem cells.
Building on earlier research at Oregon Health & Science University, where scientists created viable eggs from mouse skin cells, the team developed a technique that transfers a skin cell's nucleus into an enucleated egg cell.
This process guides genetic material through meiosis to produce eggs with proper chromosomal makeup, representing a significant improvement over traditional in vitro gametogenesis methods.
While this advancement offers hope for treating infertility, especially for women with ovarian insufficiency, clinical applications remain years away as they continue studying the complex processes of chromosomal pairing and division crucial for successful fertilization.
Novel Male Contraceptive Gel Shows Promise in Clinical Trials 💊
A breakthrough in male contraception emerged in 2024 with successful phase 2b clinical trials of NES/T, a contraceptive gel combining segesterone acetate and testosterone.
The study of 222 male participants showed that 86% achieved effective sperm suppression by week 15, with the treatment working in less than 8 weeks—significantly faster than previous methods requiring 9-15 weeks.
The gel, applied daily to the shoulders, is fully reversible, with sperm levels returning to normal within four months of discontinuation. These results suggest a promising new option in the field of male contraception, offering a non-invasive and effective choice for family planning.
FRIENDLY REMINDER: Want to get more involved with your own Reproductive Health!? 🧬🪩
There is still time to get involved with AthenaDAO’s first-ever Fertility 101 Course, starting January 20th!
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This course is designed to give you the tools you need to advocate for yourself at the doctor’s office. We’ll be covering everything from the fundamentals of women’s health to emerging technologies in fertility, guided by experts in the field. You’ll get access to:
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✅ Some surprises throughout the course!
ARPA-H Launches Major Initiative to Transform Women's Health Research 🔬
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has initiated a groundbreaking $110 million program funding 23 innovative projects in women's healthcare.
The program targets multiple critical areas including cancer, ovarian health, endometriosis, menopause, and cardiovascular conditions.
Through a dual-track approach supporting both early-stage research ("Spark" grants) and later-stage development ("Launchpad" funding), the initiative aims to accelerate the delivery of healthcare solutions, with some projects expected to reach commercialization within two years.
Pioneering Vaccine Development Targets Ovarian Cancer Prevention 💉
University of Oxford researchers are developing a preventative vaccine for ovarian cancer, focusing particularly on women with high-risk genetic factors like BRCA mutations.
The project employs innovative organoid technology to train the immune system to recognize and eliminate early-stage cancer cells.
The team is working to identify specific proteins on ovarian cancer cell surfaces that can trigger immune responses, using miniature lab-grown tumor models to test the vaccine's effectiveness.
If successful in initial laboratory studies, the project will advance to clinical trials, potentially offering a non-invasive prevention strategy for high-risk women.
If you want to be part of building the biggest Fertility Acceleration network, reminder that you can join as a contributor, a token holder and more importantly, tell everyone about our work.