Our research

Researchers in the University of North Carolina’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
are trying to understand the very beginnings of life.

The very first steps of a pregnancy can determine its outcome. Fertilization of a human egg occurs within a day of its release from the ovary. Over the next week, the embryo develops into a ball of cells and then adheres to and invades the mother’s uterine lining. The process of adhesion and invasion, called embryo implantation, is critical to pregnancy health and survival. Problems with implantation lead to infertility and miscarriage, as well as pregnancy problems such as high blood pressure and seizures. Unfortunately, little is known about human embryo implantation and this knowledge gap remains a barrier to improving infertility treatments and preventing pregnancy complications.

For more than 15 years, UNC’s OB/GYN department has been focused on understanding human embryo implantation. To date, research on embryo implantation has been limited lack of funding and important ethical considerations inherent in the study of human embryo implantation. Today, we are at the crossroads of the next major leap in knowledge. Steven Young, MD, PhD, a clinician-scientist in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and his team have identified two specific methods that will help move the field forward. The first method is a new mouse method that will allow us to investigate the function of specific molecules in specific cells of the uterus. This will be accomplished by deleting a specific gene only in certain cells and only in the fully mature mouse. The second is a “test tube” model of human embryo implantation. The test-tube model will avoid the use of human embryos by using a ball of cells identical to those of the very early placenta and allow study of the interaction between these cells and human uterine lining cells. We are at a critical juncture in our research that could bring hope to thousands of women who have faced infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy complications, but we need your help. Your investment in our research would not only directly enhance our work, but also allow us to receive more federal funding — possibly doubling or tripling your support. We hope that you will consider supporting our work, vital to thousands of families who dream of having children of their own.

To learn more about related research within the department, please visit:

timetoconceive.org
UNC Center for Women’s Health Research
UNC Fertility