Interests: The Oocyte & Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Current Research:
The health of adults, neonates, and fetuses all depend upon normal development of the embryos and oocytes from which they arise. My laboratory is interested in (1) understanding what makes up a good quality oocyte as well as (2) identifying determinants of oocyte quality.
Using a clinically relevant animal model, our current assessment centers on the oxidative stress status of bovine oocytes. Towards this goal, we investigate the oxidative stress systems that prevail in all of the compartments making up the ovarian follicle, thereby defining the milieu within which an oocyte is about to embark on the penultimate developmental process of oocyte maturation. My laboratory also focuses on designing novel culture conditions in order to support the development of optimal quality oocytes in vitro. Long-term application of our work includes the improvement of not only treatment strategies for human infertility but also reproductive efficiency in domestic species.
Recent Grants:
Vermont Genetics Network-INBRE/NIH, 6/1/2007-5/31/2008 ($64,986): Profiling of pro-/anti-oxidants during ovarian folliculogenesis. Principal Investigator
AREA-R15/NIH, 8/01/2007 – 7/31/2010 ($195,297): Oxidative stress and oocyte development. Principal Investigator
VT-EPSCoR/NSF, summer 2006 ($8,928): The effects of estrogen on the antioxidant Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase during bovine oocyte maturation. Principal Investigator
VGN/NIH, summer 2006 ($4,780): The effects of caffeine on pre-implantation development. Research Advisor to Suzanne Czerniak (’06.5), recipient
VGN/NIH, 2005-2006 ($1,996): The effect of oxidative stress on in vitro bovine oocyte maturation. Research Advisor to Aaron Kraut (’06), recipient
VT-EPSCoR/NSF, summer 2005 (9,986): Influence of oxidative stress on bovine oocyte maturation. Principal Investigator
Publications:
Combelles, C.M.H., and Racowsky, C. 2005. Assessing and optimizing oocyte quality during ART treatment. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine 3: 277-284.
Combelles, C.M.H., Orasanu, B., Ginsburg, E.S., and Racowsky, C. 2005. Optimum number of embryos to transfer in women more than 40 years of age undergoing treatment with assisted reproductive technologies. Fertility and Sterility 84: 1637-1642.
Ibanez, E., Sanfins, A., Combelles, C.M.H., Overstrom, E.W., and Albertini, D.F. 2005. Genetic strain variations in the metaphase-II phenotype of mouse oocytes matured in vivo or in vitro. Reproduction 130: 845-855.
Combelles, C.M.H., Albertini, D.F., Fissore, R.A., and Racowsky, C. 2005. In-vitro maturation of human oocytes and cumulus cells using a coculture three-dimensional collagen gel system. Human Reproduction 20: 1349-1358.
Combelles, C.M.H., Carabatsos, M.J. Kumar, T.R., Matzuk, M.M.M., and Albertini, D.F. 2004. Hormonal control of somatic cell polarity during ovarian follicle development. Molecular Reproduction and Development 69: 347-355.
Albertini, D.F., Sanfins, A., and Combelles, C.M.H. 2003. Origins and manifestations of oocyte maturation competencies. Reproductive BioMedicine Online 6: 410-415.
Combelles, C.M.H., Albertini, D.F., and Racowsky, C. 2003. Distinct microtubule and chromatin characteristics of human oocytes after failed in vivo and in vitro meiotic maturation. Human Reproduction 18: 2124-2130.
Racowsky, C., Combelles, C.M.H., Nureddin, A., Pan, Y., Finn, A., Miles, L., Gale, S., O’Leary, T., and Jackson, K.V. 2003. Day 3 and day 5 morphological predictors of embryo quality. Reproductive BioMedicine Online 6: 323-331.
Combelles, C.M.H., and Albertini, D.F. 2003. Assessment of oocyte quality following repeated gonadotropin stimulation in the mouse. Biology of Reproduction 68: 812-821.
Combelles, C.M.H., Cekleniak, N.A., Racowsky, C., and Albertini, D.F. 2002. Assessment of nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation in in-vitro matured human oocytes. Human Reproduction 17: 1006-1016.
Combelles, C.M.H., and Albertini, D.F. 2001. Microtubule patterning during meiotic maturation in mouse oocytes is determined by cell cycle-specific sorting and redistribution of γ-tubulin. Developmental Biology 239: 281-294.
Albertini, D.F., Combelles, C.M.H., Benecchi, E., and Carabatsos, M.J. 2001. Cellular basis for paracrine regulation of ovarian follicle development. Reproduction 121: 647-653.
Cekleniak, N.A., Combelles, C.M.H., Ganz, D.A., Fung, J., Albertini, D.F., and Racowsky, C. 2001. A novel system for in vitro maturation of human oocytes. Fertility and Sterility 75: 1185-1193.
Combelles, C.M.H., Carabatsos, M.J., London, S.N., Mailhes, J.B., and Albertini, D.F. 2000. Centrosome-specific perturbations during in vitro maturation of mouse oocytes exposed to cocaine. Experimental Cell Research 260: 116-126.
Carabatsos, M.J., Combelles, C.M.H., Messinger, S.M., and Albertini, D.F. 2000. Sorting and reorganization of centrosomes during oocyte maturation in the mouse. Microscopy and Research Techniques 49: 435-444.
Atkinson, S., Combelles, C., Vincent, D., Nachtigall, P., Pawloski, J., and Breese, M. 1999. Monitoring of progesterone in captive female false killer whales, Pseudorca crassidens. General and Comparative Endocrinology 115: 323-332.
Silvers, L.E., Atkinson, S., Iwasa, M, Combelles, C., and Salden, D.R. 1997. A large placenta encountered in the Hawaiian winter grounds of the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae. Marine Mammal Science 13(4): 711-716.