Eureka AIR delivers breakthrough ideas for toughest innovation challenges, trusted by R&D personnel around the world.

Protection of female reproductive system from natural and artifical insults

a technology for protecting the reproductive system and the female body, applied in the direction of biocide, drug composition, active ingredients of phosphorous compounds, etc., can solve the problems of premature menopause and irreversible sterility, inability to replenish the pool of ovarian germ cells, and inability to carry out in vivo application

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-07-05
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL PARTNERS HEALTHCARE RES VENTURES & LICENSING
View PDF0 Cites 4 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Once depleted, the ovarian germ cell pool cannot be replenished.
Thus, exposure of women to a wide spectrum of agents that damage the ovary, such as chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy, generally leads to premature menopause and irreversible sterility.
However, cell lineage specificity will certainly be an important issue to consider based on observations that p53, a classic signaling molecule for cancer therapy-induced tumor cell destruction (Ko & Prives, Genes Dev.
However, the protection was only tested in vitro with only a single drug, and thus in vivo application remained questionable.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Protection of female reproductive system from natural and artifical insults
  • Protection of female reproductive system from natural and artifical insults
  • Protection of female reproductive system from natural and artifical insults

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Histomorphometric Evaluation of Oocyte Endowment

[0063] Ovaries are fixed (0.34 N glacial acetic acid, 10% formalin, 28% ethanol), embedded in paraffin, and serially sectioned (8 μM). The serial sections from each ovary are aligned in order on glass microscope slides, stained with hematoxylin / picric methyl blue, and analyzed for the number of healthy (non-atretic) oocyte-containing primordial, primary and small preantral follicles as described by Perez et al. Nat. Genet. (1999) id. incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

example 2

Histomorphometric Evaluation of Wild Type and ASMase − / − Ovaries

[0064] ASMase − / − mice are generated as described by Horinouchi et al., Nat. Genet. 10, 288 (1995), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The histomorphometric evaluation of the oocyte endowment of wild type mice and ASMase − / − sisters shows that sphingomyelin hydrolysis is a key event in generating death signals in the developing female germline. Compared with their wild-type sisters, ASMase − / − females possess over 1.1×103 more quiescent oocyte-containing primordial follicles per ovary, as well as significant hyperplasia of the growing (primary and small preantral) follicle populations. Results are presented in Table 1 and FIG. 1.

TABLE 1Postnatal Oocyte Hyperplasia Results From ASMase Gene DisruptionFollicles+ / +− / −P valuePrimordial19120 ± 602 30480 ± 2397P Primary707 ± 931573 ± 141P Preantral 13 ± 13160 ± 46P

[0065] Number of non-atretic oocyte-containing primordial follicles endowed in the ovarian rese...

example 3

Treatment With Ceramide Synthase Inhibitor

[0068] In order to show that sphingomyelin hydrolysis, as opposed to ceramide synthesis, is important for generating ceramide as a death signal, wild-type fetal ovaries are maintained in vitro for 72 hours and various concentrations (5-500 μM) of a ceramide synthase inhibitor, fumonisin-B1 (FB1) are applied to these ovaries. The results show that this treatment does not alter survival rates in female germline (FIG. 2B). Importantly, however, and in support of the rheostat model, the reduced incidence of germ cell apoptosis conveyed by ASMase-deficiency is recapitulated by culturing wild-type fetal ovaries with increasing concentrations of S1P (FIG. 2B). Equivalent levels of in vitro germ cell survival are obtained by either ASMase gene knockout (FIG. 2A) or by S1P treatment (FIG. 2B).

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

PropertyMeasurementUnit
Timeaaaaaaaaaa
Timeaaaaaaaaaa
atomic numbersaaaaaaaaaa
Login to View More

Abstract

Described are methods for protecting the female reproductive system against natural and artificial insults by administering to women a composition comprising an agent that antagonizes one or more acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) gene products. Specifically, methods disclosed herein serve to protect women's germline from damage resulting from cancer therapy regimens including chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In one aspect, the method preserves, enhances, or revives ovarian function in women, by administering to women a composition containing sphingosine-1-phosphate, or an analog thereof. Also disclosed are methods to prevent or ameliorate menopausal syndromes and to improve in vitro fertilization techniques.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to methods for protecting female reproductive system against natural or artificial insults by administering a composition comprising an agent that antagonizes one or more acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) gene products. In particular, this invention relates to a method of protecting ovaries from cancer therapy regimens, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, by administering to women a composition containing sphingosine-1-phosphate, or an analog thereof, prior to the therapy. Methods to enhance ovarian functions, ameliorate symptoms of menopause, and improve the success of in vitro fertilization are also disclosed. I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Female gonads house a finite number of meiotically-arrested germ cells (oocytes) enclosed within primordial follicles that serve as the stockpile of eggs released at ovulation at each menstrual cycle for potential fertilization. Gougeon, Endocr Rev. 17, 121 (1996); Morita & Tilly, Dev. ...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): A01K67/027A61K31/00A61K31/66A61K31/661A61K31/685A61K31/688A61P15/08
CPCA61K31/00A61K31/66A61K31/688A61K31/685A61K31/661A61P15/00A61P15/08
Inventor TILLY, JOHNATHAN L.KOLESNICK, RICHARD N.
Owner MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL PARTNERS HEALTHCARE RES VENTURES & LICENSING
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Eureka Blog
Learn More
PatSnap group products