Surely not….this sounds too good to be true!! But, a groundbreaking study conducted by Dr. Corina Rosales and her teams at Houston Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine claims to have discovered a potential solution to infertility in women
The researchers focused on the role of plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDLs)( or as we know it – ‘cholesterol’, sometimes called “good” cholesterol, absorbs cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver. The liver then flushes it from the body. ) in female fertility and found that reducing their concentration could reverse infertility.
While the exact mechanisms by which HDLs affect fertility are still unclear, it is known that the ovaries have receptors for HDL, suggesting their involvement in female fertility. Abnormalities in HDL metabolism and high concentrations of HDLs have been shown to reduce fertility in women. External proteins and factors, such as bacterial serum opacity factor (SOF), can modify the functionality of HDLs. SOF can alter the structure of HDLs, making it easier for the liver to remove excess cholesterol that may hinder conception. It can also lower plasma HDL concentrations, indicating its potential in restoring female fertility by targeting HDLs.
To test their hypothesis, the researchers used a sterile mouse model with a deficiency in the HDL receptor
They created an adeno-associated virus (AAV) that constitutively expressed SOF (AAVSOF) and injected it into the mice. They observed the mice for five months and measured various fertility metrics, including the number of days to first litter, litter size, percent of fertile females, and survival rate of litters until weaning. The researchers also collected plasma and organ samples to assess lipid concentrations.
The key findings of the study were promising
The ovaries of the untreated mice with the HDL receptor deficiency showed abnormalities, while those treated with AAVSOF displayed normal ovary morphology, including the presence of the corpus luteum. The AAVSOF treatment successfully reduced plasma concentrations of lipids, HDL-TC, free cholesterol, and cholesteryl ester. The fertility metrics were similar between mice treated with AAVSOF and those treated with a cholesterol-lowering drug.
The researchers concluded that high concentrations of HDLs can negatively impact ovary health and female fertility
By targeting and reducing these HDLs using AAVSOF, they were able to restore fertility in previously sterile mice. AAVSOF treatment had a long-lasting impact on fertility, unlike the cholesterol-lowering drug, which required daily administration.
Infertility affects millions of people worldwide, and current treatments like in vitro fertilization can be costly. AAVSOF treatment could provide an inexpensive alternative for individuals with HDL-associated infertility.
However, it is important to note that this therapy is only applicable to a subset of individuals with HDL-associated infertility. Further research is needed to determine if and how this therapy can be implemented in humans, as there has been limited research on Scarb1 mutations in humans. Conducting lipid panels on women seeking fertility treatments could help determine if similar patterns of HDL-FC concentrations are seen in humans.
While the potential implementation of this therapy in humans requires further investigation, the findings of this study offer hope for individuals struggling with infertility.
As always when we hear of exciting new research, we turn to our own experts for their thoughts and opinions. This is what Dr. Nicholas Christoforidis, MD, MSc, FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist, Clinical Director Embryolab Fertility Clinic had to say:
“Cholesterol is an essential component of our cells. We know that both its deficiency and excess can affect various aspects of our body functions, including fertility.
Previous studies have shown that problems with the way our body deals with excess cholesterol may lead to accumulation of circulating cholesterol in the environment of maturing eggs and have an adverse effect on egg quality and their capacity to fertilize.
Although still at the stage of animal research, this is a very interesting study which may provide a novel way of managing HDL-related infertility and bring about an improvement in the egg surrounding environment, by removing excess amounts of cholesterol”
Related content:
