Nemp1's role in egg quality and female fertility
Official title: Dissecting the function of Nemp1, a nuclear envelope protein critical for mammalian fertility
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11224044 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how the protein Nemp1 supports healthy egg development and ovarian reserve in females, using mouse models to learn what may affect human fertility.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $563,325 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD108639-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11224044 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with diminished ovarian reserve, early/premature menopause, or unexplained female-factor infertility would be the most directly relevant group for future related clinical studies.
✕Less likely to help
People with infertility stemming primarily from male factors, uterine structural problems, or unrelated health issues are less likely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use mouse models to determine when and why loss of Nemp1 causes a drop in the ovarian reserve and poor egg quality. They will switch Nemp1 on and off in specific ovarian cell types to find which cells need it for normal egg development. Using specially engineered mice, scientists will pull out Nemp1 and its partner proteins from resting and growing eggs and identify them with affinity purification and mass spectrometry. Results will be compared with human genetic links to early menopause to guide how these findings could relate to women's fertility.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets or markers to help diagnose, protect, or restore ovarian reserve and improve egg quality for women at risk of early menopause or infertility.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies and human genetic data link NEMP1 to fertility, but applying that knowledge to patient treatments is still largely novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcneill, Helen — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Mcneill, Helen
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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.