Unit analyses causes of male infertility

Spokesperson Jörg Gromoll, project manager Cristin Beumer and research coordinator Frank Tüttelmann ( from left ) are delighted at the renewed funding. Fotozentrale UKM In what is a great success for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Münster, the Clinical Research Unit "Male Germ Cells" will continue to receive funding - amounting to 5.7 million euros - from the German Research Foundation (DFG). Since 2017, researchers and clinicians have been working together to investigate the causes of male infertility. "This generous funding will enable us to carry straight on from our previous successes," says Prof. Frank Tüttelmann from the Institute of Human Genetics, who is research coordinator of the Clinical Research Unit. "Taking an interdisciplinary approach, we not only analyse the genetic causes of male infertility, but also provide individual strategies for treatment. For couples who are trying to have a child, this is a big step towards making their dream come true," he adds. By analysing the genomes of more than 1,000 infertile patients, the research group was able to demonstrate that mutations or deletions in the DNA lead to no, or only a small amount of, sperm being formed - or to a reduction in the motility of the sperm, rendering them incapable of fertilizing an egg.