Growing egg and sperm-like cells in the lab to find causes of infertility
Project II
This project grows egg- and sperm-like cells from stem cells to find genetic and epigenetic reasons some people cannot make healthy gametes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Magee-Women's Res Inst and Foundation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194433 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will turn patient cells (like blood or skin) into induced pluripotent stem cells and then use a transcription factor method to make primordial germ cell–like cells in the lab. They will test genetic variants found in people with infertility—especially men with non-obstructive azoospermia—to see which changes interfere with germ cell development. The team combines mouse model data with human cell screening to increase speed and reduce false positives from computer-only predictions. The goal is a scalable platform that helps identify which variants actually cause infertility so clinicians can give clearer diagnoses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Best matches are people who have had genetic testing for infertility—particularly men diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia or anyone with variants of unknown significance in genes expressed in germ cells.
Not a fit: People whose infertility is due to physical blockage, reversible lifestyle factors, or who lack suspected germ-cell genetic variants are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to faster, more accurate genetic diagnoses for infertility and help guide future targeted treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mouse experiments and early human cell studies show the basic approach can work, but large-scale, transcription factor–driven human screening of infertility variants is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, UNITED STATES
- Magee-Women's Res Inst and Foundation — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schimenti, John C — Magee-Women's Res Inst and Foundation
- Study coordinator: Schimenti, John C
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 below.