How the CatSper channel controls sperm movement and fertility
Official title: CatSper regulation of sperm physiology and fertility
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11284091 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how a sperm protein called CatSper makes calcium signals that power sperm movement and could help men with fertility problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2019 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $509,336 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD096745-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11284091 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with unexplained infertility or suspected sperm motility problems would be the most relevant candidates for related clinical activities or future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People whose infertility is due to non-sperm factors (for example, tubal blockage or ovulation problems) would likely not benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
You will learn how CatSper channels in sperm create tiny calcium signals that drive movement, using advanced imaging, mouse models, and human sperm samples. The team has discovered new parts of the CatSper complex and created animal models to see how those parts affect sperm motility and the ability to fertilize an egg. Researchers use 3D molecular imaging and cryo-electron tomography to visualize CatSper inside sperm tails at very high resolution. The goal is to link CatSper activity with metabolic and protein-degrading pathways that together control sperm function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new tests or treatments for male infertility caused by poor sperm motility.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal and human-sample studies have established CatSper as essential for sperm motility and have resolved parts of its structure, but translating these findings into therapies remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chung, Jean-Ju Lucia — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Chung, Jean-Ju Lucia
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how some Amish communities maintain high birth rates in modern times
A project will build a large, time-sensitive dataset to understand why Amish families keep having many children, even as broader society has much lower birth rates.
-
Fighting fibroids with single-cell data to find new drugs
A study uses patient fibroid and normal tissue cells to find existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat fibroids, with tests in human cells and a mouse model.
-
Pesticide exposure and fertility health as people move from adolescence to adulthood
This long-term study follows people in Ecuador to see how pesticide exposure over the years relates to fertility and hormones as they become young adults.
-
CatSper and calcium signaling in sperm fertility
A study at Yale investigates how a sperm channel called CatSper helps calcium signaling to drive sperm movement and fertility in mammals.
-
How everyday cosmetic chemicals may affect women's fertility
This project looks at whether chemicals from cosmetics appear in blood and ovarian fluid and link to fertility in women trying to have children.
-
Chibby proteins' role in sperm development and male fertility
This project looks at how Chibby family proteins help sperm form and whether problems with these proteins contribute to male infertility.
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.