Project Grant R21HD112788

This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), CFDA 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program, will provide $397,375.00 to the University of Wyoming to conduct laboratory research on the role of PGRMC proteins as potential markers of fertility and overall health status.

The research aims to evaluate PGRMC1 and PGRMC2 gene expression across the lifespan in major organs, and to examine the impact of selectively disrupting PGRMC homeostasis in female reproductive tissues on healthspan markers like frailty, body composition, and cellular senescence. This work builds on the researchers' prior findings of a causal relationship between PGRMC gene mutations and fertility issues progressing to infertility in mice, as well as associations between human PGRMC mutations and premature ovarian insufficiency, reproductive cancers, and other diseases. The goal is to assess whether PGRMC proteins can serve as biomarkers for fertility and general health status. The award period runs from Sep 15, 2023 to Aug 31, 2025.