Brigita Vaigauskaitė-Mažeikienė has defended her thesis entitled "Identification of ovarian follicular fluid cells and molecular factors and investigation of their possible use in reproductive medicine" for the degree of Doctor of Science in Biochemistry.
The scientific supervisor is Prof. Dr. Rūta Navakauskienė
cientific onsultant: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Edita Kazėnaitė (Vilnius University, Medical and Health Sciences, Medicine)
Composition of the Dissertation Defense Board:
Chairperson - Prof. Dr. Sonata Jarmalaitė (Vilnius University, Natural Sciences, Biology); Prof. Dr. Dainius Characiejus (Vilnius University, Medical and Health Sciences, Medicine); Prof. Dr. Gediminas Čepinskas (Centre for Critical Illness Research, Canada, Natural Sciences, Biohemistry); Prof. Dr. Laima Maleckienė (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medical and Health Sciences, Medicine), Prof. Dr. Kęstutis Sužiedėlis (National Cancer Institute, Natural Sciences, Biohemistry).
Infertility is a reproductive system disorder characterized by the inability to conceive after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. According to the latest data, the prevalence of infertility is increasing and currently affects as many as 1 in 6 couples of reproductive age. Each year, more research is conducted not only to identify the causes of infertility but also to explore factors that could improve the chances of conception for these couples. One of the main research areas focuses on ovarian tissue and follicular fluid.
The aim of the dissertation was to investigate the regenerative and therapeutic properties of ovarian follicular fluid stromal cells and to assess their clinical applicability in treating unexplained infertility.
This study involved molecular analyses of follicular fluid and endometrial stromal cells from infertile women. It was found that the expression of genes involved in DNA demethylation processes, apoptosis, and immune response modulation was higher in the endometrium of non-conceiving patients compared to follicular fluid, potentially contributing to implantation disorders in cases of infertility. Preclinical in vivo studies revealed that both primary and cultured stromal cells from follicular fluid can partially restore chemotherapy-induced infertility, suggesting their potential application in clinical practice for reproductive-age oncology patients.