Project Details
Projekt
The age-dependent influence of the microbiome, metabolome and oral health on the outcome of assisted reproductive treatment (AROMA)
Applicant
Dr. Sabine Keß
Subject Area
Reproductive Medicine, Urology
Term
since 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 545617039
Infertility affects 8 to 12% of couples and while the demand for infertility services has surged, not all infertile couples will benefit from assisted reproductive treatment (ART). The female age is associated with multiple factors reducing the success rate of ART. But despite known age-related fertility factors the reasons behind the success or failure of a good quality embryo transplantation remain elusive. Accordingly there is a great need for additional predictive parameters to reduce the physical, emotional, and financial burdens on patients undergoing ART. Recently it has been suggested that microorganisms in the urogenital tract may impact the reproductive potential of infertile patients. Additionally the composition of the female oral microbiome has been linked to obstetric outcomes. So far we know that the intricate connection between the microbiome and the metabolome is subject to age-related changes, but its impact on ART is still unknown. In particular the direct influence of female age on the composition of the vaginal and oral microbiome and the associated blood metabolome has not yet been investigated, so that the influence on ART also remains unclear. Therefore we propose a prospective cohort study involving 150 women undergoing ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Samples from the oral cavity will be collected during ovarian stimulation, vaginal swabs on the day of oocyte retrieval, as well as blood for metabolome analyses, estrogen and progesterone level determination. Using 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, we will analyze the vaginal and oral microbiota composition alongside blood metabolome. This research project aims to explore variations in the vaginal and oral microbiome and plasma metabolome across different age groups. The goal is to uncover potential correlations between microbiome composition, metabolite profiles and ART outcomes. The study's results will pave the way for a subsequent phase of the project in which we envision to encompass a long-term follow-up study on live birth rates, an expanded patient cohort for robust findings, analysis of additional microbiomes, identification of clinical surrogates and the exploration of therapeutic intervention targets for enhanced treatment outcomes. Accordingly, this study might be the first step to enhance the success rates of ART through targeted modifications of the vaginal and oral microbiome and metabolome in infertile patients.
DFG Programme
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