DHEA Pioneers CHR to Collaborate with University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

NEW YORK, NY, May 12, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Center for Human Reproduction (CHR), a prominent New York City-based clinical and research center specializing in female and male infertility treatment, announced a research collaboration agreement with the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URSMD) to commence on July 1st, 2012. This collaborative effort between investigators at URSMD and CHR aims to combine two institutions with strong common interests and expertise in exploring the process of follicle maturation, and especially the role of androgens in female reproduction.

Lead investigators are Aritro Sen, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, and Stephen R. Hammes, MD, PhD, Professor, both in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at URSMD and who have published pioneering work on the subject in a rodent model; and Norbert Gleicher, MD, CHR's Chief Scientist, and David H. Barad, MD, MS, Senior Scientist at CHR, who by introducing the androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) into infertility treatment have revolutionized the treatment of women with low ovarian reserve worldwide.

"The goal of this research collaboration is to combine complementary animal and laboratory expertise at URSMD with clinical expertise at CHR," explains Dr. Gleicher. "By combining research in URSMD's unique animal model and CHR's large clinical human experience, we aim to better understand how DHEA, as well as other androgens, improves female fertility."

"This is a very exciting development," adds Dr. Barad. "We have known for years now that DHEA improves pregnancy chances but only very recently learned that this very likely occurs through conversion of DHEA to testosterone. For all practical purposes, this means that the process very likely involves the androgen receptor (AR) on granulosa cells." Dr. Barad continues: "For this kind of work, our colleagues at URSMD have the ideal mouse model."

Dr. Sen, who will become a Visiting Assistant Scientist at CHR, chimes in: "we are very much looking forward to this collaboration, which should be very beneficial for both institutions."

About Center for Human Reproduction
Center for Human Reproduction (CHR, http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com) is a leading fertility center in New York City with a worldwide reputation as a "fertility center of last resort," offering cutting-edge, research-based treatment options to infertility patients. CHR introduced DHEA supplementation into infertility care in 2004. Dr. Gleicher, Dr. Barad and Dr. Sen are available for additional comments.