Proteomic analysis of human semen for elucidation of etiologies and development of biomarker in idiopathic male infertility

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16739
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56030:Urology-related
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: Takeshima Teppei 横浜市立大学, 附属市民総合医療センター, 助教 (80811603)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 男性不妊症 / プロテオミクス / バイオマーカー探索

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Protein A, a spermatogenesis-related protein (related to mitochondrial function), and B, an epilepsy-related protein (related to cilia and flagella), as candidate biomarkers, were suggested to be downregulated in the idiopathic male infertility group (already verified by Western-Blotting).

Comparison and quantification of proteins expressed in spermatozoa of patients with spermatogenesis dysfunction due to anticancer drug administration and those with idiopathic spermatogenesis dysfunction suggested that epilepsy-related proteins and oxidative stress-related proteins are highly expressed in the anticancer drug administration group, but this was not verified in WB. In the future, we plan to quantitatively compare proteins in sperm of patients with impaired spermatogenesis after anticancer drug administration and those with normal semen findings after anticancer drug administration.

Free Research Field

男性不妊症

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在、我が国において合計特殊出生率は減少の一途を辿っており、深刻な少子化が進んでいる。現在5-6組に1組のカップルが不妊と考えられており、その原因の約半数が男性因子が関与している。
男性不妊の約半数が原因の特定が困難である特発性男性不妊症であり、病態が不明であるがゆえに治療介入が困難であるという現状がある。
そのため、特発性男性不妊症の原因解明および治療法の開発目的に精液中(精子・精漿)のバイオマーカーとなるタンパク質を同定するために本研究を行い、複数のマーカー候補となるタンパク質を同定した。今後検証を重ね、特発性男性不妊症の治療法確立に繋げていきたいと考えている。