New Approaches in the Study of Steroidogenesis, Folliculogenesis and Spermatogenesis: From Molecular Mechanisms to Pharmacological Efficiency

Dear Colleagues,

The main causes of reproductive dysfunction that often lead to infertility are impairment of spermatogenesis, folliculogenesis, and testicular and ovarian steroidogenesis. Current approaches for the correction of male infertility include gonadotropin and androgen replacement therapy, and treatment with anti-estrogen and aromatase inhibitors. Treatments for female infertility include the use of ovulation inducers (clomiphene citrate, gonadotropins), aromatase inhibitors, myoinositol, and dopamine secretion inhibitors. Strategies that involve the use of GnRH and gonadotropins are also used in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Newly developed approaches for the treatment of infertility include stem cells, genome editing with CRISPR/Cas technology, and the use of small-molecule regulators and modulators of gonadotropin receptors, gonadoliberin, and kisspeptin.

The main topics covered in this Special Issue are: (1) molecular mechanisms underlying the normal regulation of folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis, as well as their impairment in pathology; (2) endogenous and pharmacological regulators of ovarian and testicular steroidogenesis, folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis, including their targets and mechanisms; (3) induction of ovulation in ART: molecular basis, pharmacological agents and epigenetic aspects; (4) the use of allosteric regulators of GnRH and gonadotropin receptors for the correction of reproductive dysfunction and for ART; (5) genome editing technology in the treatment of infertility; (6) the use of stem cells to correct impaired spermatogenesis and folliculogenesis. The content of the Special Issue is not limited to these topics, however.

Authors are invited to submit original and review articles for publication in this Special Issue New approaches in the study of steroidogenesis, folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis: from molecular mechanisms to pharmacological efficiency.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Shpakov

Guest Editor

Manuscripts should be submitted via our online editorial system at https://imr.propub.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to start your submission. Manuscripts can be submitted now or up until the deadline. All papers will go through peer-review process. Accepted papers will be published in the journal (as soon as accepted) and meanwhile listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, reviews as well as short communications are preferred. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office to announce on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts will be thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. Please visit the Instruction for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) in this open access journal is 2500 USD. Submitted manuscripts should be well formatted in good English.