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Exploring Molecular Mechanism in Infertility

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 361

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
2. Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Paolo Giaccone” Hospital, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Interests: endometriosis; infertility; minimally invasive surgery; assisted reproduction technology; gynecological endocrinology; reproductive immunology; laparoscopy; hysteroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Paolo Giaccone” Hospital, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Interests: infertility; IVF/ICSI; assisted reproductive technologies; endometriosis; adenomyosis; hysteroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infertility affects a significant percentage of couples worldwide, with many cases remaining unexplained due to the complexity of reproductive biology. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying infertility is essential for developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This Special Issue, entitled “Exploring Molecular Mechanism in Infertility”, aims to bring together groundbreaking research and comprehensive reviews focusing on the latest findings in the molecular aspects of reproductive biology and infertility.

We invite submissions that explore the genetic, epigenetic, hormonal, cellular, and environmental factors that contribute to infertility. This issue particularly welcomes studies that employ advanced methodologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics, as well as innovative bioinformatics and computational biology approaches.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Genetic mutations and polymorphisms influencing fertility;
  • Epigenetic regulation and reproductive disorders;
  • Molecular markers and biomarkers for infertility diagnosis and prognosis;
  • Hormonal signaling pathways in fertility and infertility;
  • Immunological aspects of infertility;
  • Environmental and lifestyle factors influencing reproductive outcomes;
  • Molecular insights into gamete development and embryo implantation;
  • Molecular innovations in assisted reproductive technologies;
  • Impact of aging on fertility at the molecular level.

We look forward to your valuable contributions, which will help advance the field of reproductive biology and improve outcomes for those affected by infertility.

Dr. Antonio Simone Laganà
Dr. Andrea Etrusco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infertility
  • molecular mechanisms
  • reproductive biology
  • genomics
  • epigenetics
  • biomarkers
  • assisted reproductive technologies
  • transcriptomics
  • proteomics
  • environmental factors

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 3909 KiB  
Article
The Sweet Side of IVF: Biological Role and Diagnostic Potential of Galectin-9 in Female Infertility
by Beata Polgar, Matyas Meggyes, Krisztina Godony, Akos Varnagy, Kalman Kovacs, Peter Mauchart, Peter Matrai, Krisztina Kovacs, David Semjen, Tamas Tornoczki and Laszlo Szereday
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(16), 7672; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167672 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 171
Abstract
Infertility rates are indeed increasing globally, which emphasizes a pressing need to identify novel biomarkers exhibiting superior potential for laboratory diagnosis and personalized clinical management. This study aimed to explore the biological role of Galectin-9 (Gal-9) in female fertility and evaluate its diagnostic [...] Read more.
Infertility rates are indeed increasing globally, which emphasizes a pressing need to identify novel biomarkers exhibiting superior potential for laboratory diagnosis and personalized clinical management. This study aimed to explore the biological role of Galectin-9 (Gal-9) in female fertility and evaluate its diagnostic potential in the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) program. A prospective cohort study was performed on 83 follicular fluids (FF) and 19 serum-FF pairs from IVF patients, 16 serum samples from fertile women, and 12 tissue sections. Gal-9 expression was characterized by immunostaining and ELISA. The ROC analysis was employed to evaluate the overall diagnostic performance. Cell-specific ovarian Gal-9 expression and significant differences in soluble Gal-9 levels were identified in the serum and FF of fertile and infertile women. Elevated intrafollicular Gal-9 levels were linked to poor ovarian reserve, served as a predictive marker for ovarian hyperstimulation, and marked unfavorable IVF outcomes. Follicular Gal-9 levels positively correlated with peak estradiol and total daily FSH dosage. ROC analysis revealed an excellent diagnostic value of Gal-9 for predicting fertilization success and a moderate ability to predict IVF outcomes. Our findings suggest a potential role for Gal-9 in oogenesis and its promise as a diagnostic marker for predicting fertilization success in IVF. However, further studies are needed to confirm its clinical utility in assisted reproduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Molecular Mechanism in Infertility)
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