Search for biomarkers of uterine receptivity and developing a molecular test
Infertility is a serious medical concern affecting and preventing parenthood in up to 20% of couples during their reproductive years. The incidence of infertility is continuously increasing due to the general trend to delay pregnancy. To stress the importance of infertility and the assisted reproductive techniques, the Nobel Prize was awarded to Prof. Edwards in 2010 for the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is the most commonly used technique and most effective in treating infertility. However, despite of the many technological improvements the overall pregnancy rate after IVF remains only 30% per single cycle. One of the reasons for a failed infertility treatment outcome is our inability to correctly judge the quality of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. The endometrium is receptive to the embryo for implanting only during a restricted time period of 7– 9 days after ovulation that is called the ‘window of implantation’. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for women not achieving pregnancy, after having excluded other known infertility reasons, and for those women undergoing IVF treatment to determine WHETHER and WHEN their endometrium is receptive. Many attempts have been made to find biomarkers predicting the very exact time frame of receptivity, but only 2 gene expression-based tests are available today. Both of these tests require an invasive and painful endometrial biopsy, the sampling is performed a cycle preceding the embryo transfer and are expensive. There is a high need for a minimally invasive, fast and accurate (from the same cycle) uterine receptivity test. ENDORE project aims to apply the high-throughput sequencing technologies in combination with the recent cutting-edge technological innovations in order to identify the putative uterine receptivity biomarkers from uterine fluid, uterine microflora and blood in order to develop a minimally invasive, less painful, accurate and fast, and cost-effective receptivity test.
