Female reproductive tract cell collection
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Female reproductive tract cell collection – Research to improve our understanding of fertility
IRAS ID
191043
Contact name
Christopher Barratt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Infertility affects 1:6 couples. There are limited treatment options that are available at present for these couples where the underlying cause is male factor and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) offers no guarantee of success. The Live Birth Rate (LBR) has remained static for a number of years despite advances in technology. There are many animal studies that have recorded sperm transport and reproductive tract epithelial interaction, although little information known about these processes in humans. By gaining better understanding of sperm epithelial interaction processes in vivo, we may be able to improve sperm selection for fertility treatment, thus improving IVF and ICSI success rates. The research group aims to collect reproductive tract cells to study their interaction with sperm cells.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
16/ES/0023
Date of REC Opinion
25 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion