I'm dedicating this post to a new study that was published recently looking at a protein complex (Cohesin) that could be related to decreased fertility and increased risk of miscarriages in older women. It is widely accepted that fertility potential of females decreases with age. The rate of miscarriage also increases as age increases over 45 years. More research has been conducted to better understand the mechanisms that are involved. Recurrent miscarriage can be very devastating and emotionally difficult to handle. If we have a better understanding of the root causes, we may be able to implement better diagnostic and therapeutic methods. I am going to exp
To better understand this protein complex, I'm going to give a brief overview of how cellular division works in oocytes. Humans have 46 chromosomes and the process of meiosis is responsible for dividing eggs or sperm so that each new cell only has 23 chromosomes. This is different than normal cellular division (mitosis) where each new cell also has 46 chromosomes. Due to meiosis and reduction of chromosome number, when the sperm fertilizes the egg, the genetic material of both are combined to give the 46 chromosomes humans have. Cohesin is a protein complex that plays an important role in separation of chromosomes during cell division. When DNA is replicated, cohesin holds the two copies together until they are ready to be separated at a later stage during the cell division cycle. Therefore, it plays an essential role in the correct separation of the genetic material. The separation is done from a point called the kinetochore which holds the two copies of the chromosome together until they are separated by the spindles from either pole of the cell. The spindles pull on the chromosomes for hours until they are all aligned and ready to be separated. Therefore, the chromosomes have to withstand a strong force for some period. In older cells, there is a decrease in the amount of cohesin which causes the stability and integrity of the kinetochores to be compromised. This could lead to faulty separation and abnormal number of chromosomes into new cells (aneuploidy). If aneuploid oocytes are fertilized, they will in most cases either not implant or will lead to miscarriage. It is therefore, reasonable to suggest that cohesin could play an important role in recurrent miscarriage. This was published in a new study as part of a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, Germany, and Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridge. The premise of the study is that "decreased fertility and increased risk of miscarriage in older women can be linked to cohesin".
This study is opening the field into looking more at recurrent miscarriage and trying to find answers to the questions that many patients ask when sitting in their specialist's office. Questions that we can not answer at the moment, which is not only frustrating for patient but for the doctors as well. It is great that research into this field is becoming more prominent and hopefully soon we can answer the hard questions and have potential solutions.
I have attached the link to the study if you are interested in having a read: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982219311662
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
