Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a key role in cell communication, providing RNAs, lipids, and proteins to spermatozoa during maturation. Obesity, a major health concern, is linked to increased male infertility due to disrupted apoptosis of testicular germ cells caused by endoplasmic reticulum stress. This leads to altered sperm protein content, impacting maturation and fertilization. Addressing this issue requires urgent development of innovative cell-based strategies, focusing on EVs. The challenge is to identify mechanisms connecting EVs-SPZ communication and obesity-related male infertility using transcriptomic, proteomic, and epigenetic approaches.
Research group: Paola Piomboni, Alice Luddi, Laura Governini