Kisspeptin - Infertility Help

The Myriad Causes of Infertility

Infertility, according to the experts, is on the rise. More people are waiting longer to start their families and women who are in the 40's want to be first-time moms. As time marches on, the ability to conceive becomes more difficult. Along with age, there are several other reasons for infertility, including obesity in men and women, PCOS, endometriosis, and damage resulting from sexually transmitted diseases, such as Chlamydia, which leads to pelvic inflammatory disease and damage to the fallopian tubes. Still more contributors to infertility include smoking, environmental toxins and binge drinking, drug use and other lifestyle habits that are not conducive to procreation.

All Kinds of Help

For couples who have had trouble conceiving, there are many methods of assisted reproduction therapies that cover everything from herbs and acupuncture to IVF, ICSI, and IUI. New drugs are finding their way onto the scene regularly as researchers work hard to find ways to help couples who want to have children and are physically not able to make it happen.

The Early Research on Kisspeptin

Back in 2008 a team of researchers in Edinburgh, Scotland, developed a treatment at the Medical Research Council's Human Reproductive Sciences Unit that concentrated on the two most common causes of infertility in women - polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. PCOS affects the ovaries with cysts causing them to either stop producing eggs or halting the maturation of the ovaries. Endometriosis is a condition wherein the lining of the womb is growing in other places within the pelvic cavity and outside of the womb. When menses occurs, the lining bleeds as it would if it were inside the womb, causing pooling of blood in the pelvic cavity, scarring and pain.

Professor Robert Millar, the head of the 2008 research team felt the drug that was developed and was to be used in a clinical trial in 2009, called kisspeptin antagonist, would be a major breakthrough. The drug, an artificial version of the hormone kisspeptin which naturally occurs in the body, was proven to be able to make the natural protein work properly and normalize the release of hormones.

Later Research and Renewed Hope

Fast forward to 2010 and we find that the research is ongoing in the UK. Another research group lead by Dr. Waljit Dhillo from Imperial College London has shown kisspeptin administered to infertile women can activate the release of sex hormones that trigger menstruation. Women with low hormone levels that cause infertility can be helped with a new fertility treatment based on kisspeptin. Kisspeptin is a product of the KISS-1 gene, which regulates reproductive function. Dr. Dhillo and his associates, having shown that kisspeptin increases production of sex hormones, are extending the research to include women whose periods have stopped due to hormonal imbalance.

By administering injections of kisspeptin twice a week, fertility may be restored to some women. Over a two month period, a group of 10 women with hypothalamic amenorrhea were found to successfully release the sex hormones necessary to become fertile. The treatment does not cause side effects and the researchers are now planning to confirm the findings with large-scale randomized trials.

The Research Lead Doctor Comments

Dr. Waljit Dhillo said: "infertility is a highly distressing condition and affects up to one in seven couples in the UK. The results of our study are exciting as they show that kisspeptin may be a novel method for restoring fertility to women with certain types of infertility. Our findings show that an injection of kisspeptin given twice-weekly can reinvigorate the reproductive hormone system in women and raise their levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone, both of which are essential for fertility.