How uterine sugar stores and obesity affect fertility
Deciphering the Roles of Endometrial Glycogen Reserves and the Impact of Obesity on Fertility
This project looks at whether sugar stored in the uterine lining helps embryos survive and how obesity changes that for people trying to get pregnant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11283952 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how the uterine lining stores glucose as glycogen and whether those stored sugars help embryos grow and implant. Using timed mouse pregnancies, they measure uterine glycogen at key stages from fertilization through blastocyst implantation and compare normal and obese mouse models. They will examine how uterine stromal cells provide glucose to the embryo, how altering glycogen levels affects implantation success, and the molecular signals involved. The team aims to relate the mouse findings to patterns seen in women with implantation failure or obesity-related infertility.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People trying to conceive who have trouble achieving pregnancy, especially individuals with obesity or suspected problems with embryo implantation, would be most relevant.
Not a fit: This research is unlikely to help people whose infertility is driven primarily by sperm problems, blocked fallopian tubes, or major genetic embryo defects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to improve implantation and pregnancy rates for people with obesity-related infertility.
How similar studies have performed: Clinical observations have linked higher endometrial glycogen with fertility, but direct experimental proof is limited so this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Champaign, United States
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Champaign, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dean, Matthew J — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Dean, Matthew J
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.