Chibby proteins and sperm development in male fertility
Official title: The Role of Chibby Family Members in Spermatogenesis and Male Fertility
Funded at State University New York Stony Brook · NIH-11263736 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how Chibby proteins affect sperm development and fertility in men with sperm problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project start | May 24, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $426,265 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD109232-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11263736 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with unexplained infertility or poor sperm motility, particularly those with signs of ciliary dysfunction, would be the most likely candidates for related future studies.
✕Less likely to help
Because this project is mainly laboratory and animal research, people seeking immediate treatments are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
This project studies proteins called Chibby that help build the tail (flagellum) of sperm, which is essential for sperm movement and fertilization. Scientists will use laboratory experiments and mouse models to see how loss or changes in these proteins affect sperm shape and motility. They will examine how Chibby interacts with membrane and ring structures in sperm and relate those findings to human ciliopathy-related infertility. The work aims to map the biological steps that go wrong when sperm tails are abnormal.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new causes of male infertility and point to targets for future diagnostic tests or treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies showed that loss of Cby1 causes ciliary defects, and applying that knowledge to testis-specific family members like Cby1L is a newer extension of that work.
Where this research is happening
-
State University New York Stony Brook
Stony Brook, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Takemaru, Ken-Ichi — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Takemaru, Ken-Ichi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.