Institute of Reproduction and Development (including the Centre for Early Human Development)
Director: Professor D M de Kretser
Deputy Director: Professor A O Trounson
Associate directors: Associate Professor G P Risbridger, Professor
I Kola
Address: Institute of Reproduction and Development, Block E, Levels 3 and 5,
Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton 3168
Telephone: (03) 9550 3576
- + Testicular physiology Physiology of inhibin, activin and
follistatin in relation to their control of FSH and their potential actions as
paracrine regulators within the testis; the role of inhibin and activin in the
control of the fetal pituitary-gonadal axis and their sites of production
within the foetus; the role of these proteins in human pregnancy. Hormonal
control of spermatogenesis with particular reference to the sites of action of
FSH and testosterone and the manner in which these hormones control Sertoli
cell function. Factors controlling the division of Sertoli cells in the
developing testis; the role of growth factors and their receptors in
spermatogenesis; the role of microtubule associated proteins in
spermatogenesis; development of the outer dense fibres and fibrous sheath of
spermatozoa. Immunological aspects of male reproduction including the role of
cytokines and growth factor in the modulation of the immune status of the
testis.
- + Prostate biology Interaction between steroids and growth
factors in the regulation of cell-cell interactions in normal and diseased
tissue. Prostate: role of TGFb/activin superfamily in the development of
prostate cancer in humans. Determining local hormone expression of growth
factors in BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy). Pin (premalignant) and prostate
cancer tissues; correlation of these with the progression of prostate disease.
Development of markers for monitoring prostate cell function in seminal plasma.
Testis: development and maturation of Leydig and peritubular cells from stem
cell precursors. Paracrine/autocrine mechanisms of regulating testicular
steroidogenesis.
- + Endometrial physiology and angiogenesis Research areas
currently investigated - Angiogenesis (human and animal models, endometrial and
ovarian); menorrhagia (dysfunctional and perimenopausal - investigations
include evaluations of new clinical treatment methods and of patient
satisfaction with outcome); embryo implantation (human IVF related studies and
animal models); basic aspects of menstruation (including studies on cell-cell
and cell-substrate adhesion molecules); contraception (the effects of longterm
progestin-only contraceptives on endometrial function and bleeding patterns);
endometriosis (clinically related studies on different aspects of the biology
of endometriotic implants); ovarian cancer, control of new blood vessel growth
and relevance to clinical outcome.
- + Early human development Human infertility including IVF and
other reproductive technologies in human medicine, fertilisation using
micromanipulation techniques, the aetiology of Polycystic Ovarian Disease,
human oocyte maturation in vitro, embryo culture, embryo transfer, endometrial
reception for developing embryos and implantation, ovarian tissue
cryopreservation and transplantation, diagnosis for genetic disease by embryo
biopsy and molecular genetics techniques, the ultrastructure of fertilisation
events and early embryonic development, and legal, ethical and social issues
arising from the new reproductive technologies. Embryo physiology including the
metabolic requirements for mammalian oocyte maturation, fertilisation and
embryo development, formulation of embryo culture requirements, determination
of embryo viability, functioning enzyme systems in preimplantation embryos,
peroxidation and embryo development and embryo cryopreservation. Gene vectors
and embryonic stem cells including the manipulation of endogenous genes by
innovative molecular strategies for the determination of gene function in
development and production of transgenic animals. Human developmental cell
regulation: cell biology of early human development, including the study of
growth factors affecting the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of
human multipotent stem cells: gene expression during the differentiation of
embryonal stem cells into endoderm; human gonadal development and the origins
of germ cell tumours of the testis; a novel cell surface proteoglycan expressed
during human development with a likely role in cell substrate adhesion. Animal
biotechnology involving the in vitro maturation of immature oocytes to provide
material for investigations into in vitro fertilisation, embryo culture, oocyte
and embryo cryopreservation and the role of growth factors in pre and
peri-implantation bovine embryo development. These techniques are also used for
multiplication of genetically identical embryos that include oocyte
enucleation, embryo disaggregation and culture of embryonic cells, cell cycle
control and electrofusion. Further studies involve embryo stage specific gene
expression and nuclear reprogramming after nuclear transfer as controlled by
genetic imprinting and DNA methylation. Animal research including genomic
storage for endangered species, reproductive technologies for species at risk
of extinction, reduction of generation intervals in cattle breeding, embryo
recovery and transfer in domestic and wild captive animals, equine reproductive
physiology, lactation and dairy product productions in sheep and goats,
development of semen collection techniques across species, cryopreservation of
semen in dogs and zoo species, production of genetically identical offspring,
reproductive studies in farmed deer species and embryo transfer in cameloids.
Animal Gene Storage Resource Centre of Australia: The Animal Gene Storage
Resource Centre of Australia, a collaborative partnership between the IRD,
Universities and Zoological Institutes, has established a research program
focusing on the preservation and assisted breeding of endangered wildlife
species. This research is directed to reproductive physiology, cryobiology and
embryology concentrating on the salvaging of oocytes; oocyte preservation;
maturation and fertilisation; semen collection technology and preservation; and
hormone assays of saliva, faeces and serum to monitor reproductive cycles.
- + Developmental biology Role of the extracellular matrix in
embryogenesis; cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in specification of cell
types in the developing brain; genetic and biochemical basis for embryo losses
at implantation; analysis of fetal growth retardation in mice; analysis of
molecular aspects of genomic imprinting in androgenetic and parthenogenetic
embryonic stem cells.
- + Molecular genetics and development Molecular biology of Down
syndrome; molecular biology of aging and cellular senescence; molecular biology
of cancer; genes regulation and function during differentiation and
development; the ETS family of transcription factors - functional analysis; the
role of antioxidant genes in cellular processes; the role of SODI gene in aging
and Down syndrome; transcription factors and their role in development and
disease; the interferon a receptor gene - its biological function and role in
disease; transcription factors in spermatogenesis; gene regulation; use of
transgenic mice for animal models of human disease; embryonic stem cells and
homologous recombination for evaluating the biological role of specific genes.
- + Fetal physiology Initiation and control of ventilation in the
newborn lamb; metabolic cost of breathing in the fetus and the newborn;
influence of caesarean section on the establishment of breathing at birth;
development of the respiratory system in the fetus from very early in
gestation; structure of respiratory areas in the hindbrain; metabolic
properties of respiratory muscles and heart.
- + Neonatal physiology Development of the fetal heart and
circulation from mid-gestation; development, physiology and pharmacology of the
cerebral circulation; circulatory adaptation at birth; cardiac structure and
function after preterm birth; thermal and cardio-respiratory physiology in
sleep in infants - understanding the mechanism of Sudden Infant Death.