Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute are reporting that mice created to lack a certain type of molecule known as an LPA receptor have fertility problems, which suggests that these receptors play a major role in conception. In the latest issue of the journal Nature, the scientists detail how mice that lack LPA receptors, which normally appear on the surface of cells in a mouse’s womb, have fertility problems. These mice are able to produce eggs normally, so that the eggs can be fertilized, but the resulting embryos, which are otherwise healthy, have problems implanting in the womb -- the last step in conception. This is significant because women also have these LPA receptors expressed in their wombs. The discovery that the LPA receptors affect fertility in mice may open a new area of fertility research and treatment for humans.
