Advancements in Reproductive Medicine: Unlocking the Secrets of the Ovary and Sperm for Fertility and Beyond

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on “Advancements in Reproductive Medicine: Unlocking the Secrets of the Ovary and Sperm for Fertility and Beyond” aims to highlight the critical roles of metabolites in reproductive health and fertility. This issue will highlight novel research that investigates the ways in which metabolic processes affect oocyte and sperm formation, function, and dysfunction, and how these processes affect both normal fertility and reproductive diseases. The aim is to address broader health implications beyond reproduction, provide new insights into the biological pathways influencing reproductive health, and identify potential therapeutic and clinical targets that can enhance fertility treatments.

This Special Issue will focus on the regulation of ovarian and sperm biology while encompassing a wide range of topics at the intersection of biology and reproductive medicine. We invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that address the following themes:

• Oocyte and sperm development: studies examining metabolic networks and processes, such as oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial function, and also the genetic regulation that may be involved in the development, maintenance, and function of oocytes and sperm.
• Fertility and metabolic disorders: research examining the effects of metabolic disorders on reproductive outcomes, with a particular emphasis on the molecular and metabolic causes of conditions like diabetes, obesity, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
• Biomarkers in reproductive health: research that pinpoints or verifies particular metabolites and substances as possible biomarkers for ovarian reserve, sperm quality, fertility, and the health of an early pregnancy.
• Reproductive aging: studies on how aging affects fertility and whether interventions may reverse or reduce the aging process in reproduction in both men and women.
• Metabolic interventions in reproductive medicine: research on the possible therapeutic benefits of metabolic modulators—such as vitamins, medications, or dietary changes—with the goal of treating reproductive diseases, enhancing the efficacy of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), or improving fertility outcomes.
• Enhanced reproductive metabolomics technologies: publications presenting novel metabolomics technologies and techniques, including single-cell metabolomics, mass spectrometry imaging, and integration with other omics approaches (e.g., proteomics, genomics), that provide deeper insights into the regulation of reproduction.
• Cross-talk between reproductive and systemic metabolism: articles that investigate how the systemic metabolic states—such as energy balance, endocrine signaling, and the impact of metabolic alterations on reproductive health and disease—interact with the reproductive organs (e.g., the testes, ovaries).

The goal of this special issue is to bring together interdisciplinary research that increases our knowledge of the metabolic regulation of reproductive cells and develops new therapeutic applications for reproductive health and fertility treatment.

Prof. Konstantinos C. Dafopoulos
Dr. Efthalia Moustakli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• oocytes
• sperm
• fertility
• biomarkers
• omics
• metabolism
• PCOS
• oxidative stress
• reproductive aging
• metabolic interventions
• assisted reproductive technologies (ART)