Martin Blomberg Jensen

Martin Blomberg Jensen says: “This project aims at uncovering the role RANKL – a protein known to be important for bone health – for male fertility. I have identified this protein in the testis and inhibition of the protein increases the production of sperm. This finding may be of clinical relevance as there exist a RANKL inhibitor used to treat osteoporosis in women and maybe we can repurpose this treatment as a novel treatment option for some infertile men. This will be of great interest because there exists no treatment for male infertility today. Instead, the women are treated with invasive and expensive assisted reproductive techniques even when the women are healthy. By studying the effects of RANKL inhibition in mouse models, human testis models, and by injecting the drug into infertile men our approach will show whether this may serve as a novel treatment option for some cases of male infertility.”

Martin Blomberg Jensen has established his independent research group at Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, and is currently doing his specialist training in endocrinology. He says: “This grant will be fundamental to secure continuity in my group in the year to come and for achieving my overall aim of creating an expert center for bone and mineral research/disease in east Denmark”.