It is known that women's fertility declines with age, due to the ovaries gradually losing eggs and follicles, leading to infertility, menstrual cycle irregularities, and eventually menopause.
But although this process is natural and happens to everyone, scientists still do not fully understand what controls its speed, or why ovarian aging accelerates in some women more than in others.
In this context, researchers from Monash University in Australia conducted pre-clinical studies, through which they were able to identify a gene that may play an important protective role in extending a woman's reproductive lifespan.
This gene, called Nfkb1, works to reduce levels of chronic low-grade inflammation within the ovary, a type of inflammation associated with aging.
The study, led by Dr. Carla Hatt and published in the Journal of Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, revealed that the loss of this gene leads to accelerated depletion of ovarian reserve, a phenomenon similar to ovarian insufficiency or premature menopause in humans.
The researchers found that the females in the experiments lost their eggs and follicles (the sacs that contain the eggs) rapidly, forming a model similar to what happens to women with premature ovarian failure.
Most significantly, the loss of the Nfkb1 gene was accompanied by elevated levels of inflammation within the ovaries. Hatt explains that this chronic, low-grade inflammation may be the primary trigger for accelerated follicular depletion, leading to early infertility and premature menopause.
These findings are particularly important because the number of known genetic factors associated with premature and rapid egg loss remains very limited. Most of the factors influencing ovarian aging are still unknown.
Hatt points out that women with premature ovarian insufficiency not only suffer from infertility, but also experience an early decline in ovarian hormone production, increasing their risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis in the long term. She adds that this gene appears to be essential for maintaining follicle numbers, thus ensuring continued hormone production and extending reproductive lifespan.
Hatt and her team hope these findings will pave the way for future studies on women with infertility, providing deeper insights into the genetic factors influencing fertility, which could lead to improved clinical care. They even believe this gene, or the inflammatory pathways associated with it, could become a target for future therapies aimed at extending a woman's ovarian and reproductive lifespan, delaying menopause, and maintaining overall health for longer.
