Prince Henry's Institute

A young Melbourne researcher has discovered that a compound which attracts white blood cells to areas of inflammation also plays an important role in attracting human embryos to the womb, supporting the establishment of a healthy pregnancy.

Approximately 1 in 6 Australian couples will experience infertility. A large part of this may be due to faulty coordination and guidance of the embryo to the mother's womb.

Natalie Hannan, of Prince Henry's Institute, has found that the compound fractalkine is also produced by the uterus. To ensure a healthy pregnancy, the lining of the uterus must produce factors that attract the embryo to implant and begin to grow. Fractalkine may help the placenta to form and tap into the mother's blood supply, by guiding the cells from which it develops to their right destination.

"In short, fractalkine plays an important role in the establishment of a healthy pregnancy," Hannan of the Uterine Biology Group at Prince Henry's whose work led to the unravelling of the compound's role," says Hannan.

"The problem for many infertile couples lies in failure of the embryo to become properly embedded in the mother's womb. A better understanding of this complicated process should advance treatments for infertility.

"Although infertility treatment has dramatically improved over the past few years, more than 75 per cent of in vitro fertilisation (IVF)
attempts will fail. A large part of this may be due to faulty communication between the mother and the baby, involving compounds such as fractalkine."

Hannan says that fractalkine is produced by the lining of the uterus at the time of implantation, when the embryo makes a special receptor that enables it to respond to fractalkine.

Using advanced technology that allows the movement of cells to be measured, Hannan discovered that human placental cells migrate towards fractalkine. Without fractalkine and many other similar compounds involved in the control of the essential processes of early pregnancy, implantation will fail.

"This exciting finding may improve IVF success rates by providing new targets for infertility treatment. It also aids our understanding of what makes a healthy pregnancy, which is ultimately a successful start to life," Hannan says.

Natalie Hannan is one of 16 young scientists presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Federal and Victorian Governments. One of the Fresh Scientists will win a trip to the UK courtesy of British Council Australia to present his or her work to the Royal Institution.

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For further information or an interview contact:

Natalie Hannan, Uterine
Biology, Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, 0402 296 660 or
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Or Alison Noonan, Media officer, (03) 9594 4391 or 0438 501 381.

Media contact for Fresh Science: Jo Gajewski 0429 388 822