Our cells are constantly damaging DNA damage from factors such as ultraviolet rays, radiation, toxins and chemicals. For women, this can lead to poor egg quality, which in turn can cause infertility, elimination, genetic abnormalities or genetic disorders.
Researchers at the University of Missouri are now working to better understand a process that can help restore this damage.
In a recent study, a team led by Ahmed Balboula, an assistant professor at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) and a researcher at Roy Blunt Nextgen Precision Health Building, is studying a process known as autopsy. The invisible hero of cell biology, autophagia serves as a natural defensive mechanism of the body, maintaining cellular health with recycling ingredients, ensuring that the body systems remain balanced and functional.
But in the recent study of Balvoula, his research team discovered that in female eggs, autophagia is less effective when there is moderate or severe DNA damage, which is more common in older women.
When the activity of autophagia is reduced to DNA -damaged eggs or mother’s eggs, which have moderate DNA damage, there is an increased risk of aneploom. Anemloid – an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell – is the main cause of elimination and congenital genetic abnormalities, including Down Syndrome. “
Ahmed Balboula, Assistant Professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR)
Balbula and his team also discovered a possible solution. In the study, they found that by enhancing or stimulating the autopsy process in female eggs, they were able to improve the quality of the eggs by reducing DNA damage and the likelihood of abnormal chromosome numbers.
Successfully showing that stimulating autophagy can reduce DNA damage levels in female eggs, findings can open new directions to improve the quality of women’s eggs, eventually improving reproductive health for both people and people animals.
“Disabling the autophagy we have found is probably just one of the many underlying mechanisms that contribute to anewhelmia,” Balboula said. “Going forward, I will continue to explore other underlying mechanisms that contribute to the poor quality of eggs in ultimately further efforts to improve the quality of women’s eggs.”
Balbula came to Mizzou from the University of Cambridge in 2019 due to his strong reputation as a leader in reproductive biology research.
“I knew this was the place to reinforce my career,” he said. “Partners, resources and research infrastructure here in Mizzou, especially at Cafnr, in the field of animal sciences and in the NEXTGEN health building, to help us get our research at the next level and as soon as we start.”
“Increased DNA damage to fully cultivated oocytes is associated with reduced autophagy activation” Nature communications. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Source:
Magazine report:
Sun, F., et al. (2024). Increased DNA damage to fully cultivated oocytes is associated with reduced autophagy activation. Nature communications. Doi.org/10.1038/S41467-024-53559-W.
