Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Elucidating the role of the hyaluronan matrices on the establishment of ovarian reserve and aging

Award Number: R56HD111646
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2025

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Elucidating the role of the hyaluronan matrices on the establishment of ovarian reserve and aging - ABSTRACT In mammals generally, including humans, the ovary ceases its functions little more than halfway through a female's lifespan. This is strikingly different from the changes that occur in other organs, leading to a very long post-reproductive period in humans. Female reproductive aging is characterized by a loss of follicles; follicles are the functional units of the ovary, consisting of oocytes surrounded by companion granulosa cells. All the oocytes/follicles that the ovary will ever have will have been generated in utero or at a very early postnatal age. The study of ovarian reserve regulation has been very germ cell centric, relegating to a quite secondary role the ovarian stroma and the microenvironment (including somatic cells and the extracellular matrix). In fact, the microenvironment in which cells grow and develop informs function. Recent publications have shown that the ovarian stroma becomes inflammatory, fibrotic, and stiff with advanced reproductive age. These phenotypes are mechanistically linked to changes in the hyaluronan (HA) matrix, a ubiquitous and polydisperse extracellular glycosaminoglycan that regulates tissue homeostasis. In its high-molecular-weight (HMW) form, HA binds water and promotes hydration and has anti-inflammatory properties. In contrast, low-molecular-weight (LMW) HA tends to have pro-inflammatory properties. High levels of HA are associated with stem cell proliferation and protection from differentiation during early embryogenesis. The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber, NMR) is a unique rodent species which lives up to four decades and maintains reproductive function throughout its entire lifespan. This extreme longevity is attributable in part to the production of large amounts of very-high-molecular-weight hyaluronan (vHMW-HA). vHMW-HA is produced in NMRs by a uniquely modified version of the hyaluronan synthase 2 gene (Has2). In the proposed research, we will test the overarching hypothesis that the stromal microenvironment of the fetal ovary, including an HA-rich matrix, regulates the establishment and maintenance of the ovarian reserve and reproductive longevity.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = -$549 )
2026	2024	MAGEE-WOMENS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND FOUNDATION	3240 CRAFT PL STE 100	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	3/20/2026	NEW	-$549
														Subtotal = -$549

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $232,308 )
2024	2024	MAGEE-WOMENS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND FOUNDATION	3240 CRAFT PL STE 100	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	8/31/2024	NEW	$232,308
														Subtotal = $232,308

Grand Total All Awards = $231,759

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Elucidating the role of the hyaluronan matrices on the establishment of ovarian reserve and aging

Award Number: R56HD111646

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2025

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer