In an exciting leap forward on preventing early infertility, Australian researchers have identified a gene that may help protect a woman’s reproductive lifespan, and eventually point to new ways of preventing infertility and premature menopause.
It’s a finding that adds to the growing body of Australian research working to close long-standing gaps in women’s health and, again, it comes courtesy of a woman-led team.
Most women know that fertility declines with age. That decline is largely driven by the gradual loss of eggs and follicles from the ovaries, which leads to infertility, irregular cycles and, ultimately, menopause. But exactly why this happens and why some women experience it far earlier than others has, to date, remained largely unexplained.
Now, pre-clinical research led by Dr Karla Hutt (pictured above) at Monash University has identified a gene, Nfkb1, that appears to play a role in slowing that process by keeping ovarian inflammation in check.
Published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, the study was based on animal models and found that loss of the Nfkb1 gene caused a rapid depletion of the ovarian reserve, the store of eggs and follicles a female is born with. The female animals quickly lost their eggs and follicles, creating a model that resembles diminished ovarian reserve or early menopause in humans.
Importantly, that loss coincided with an increase in ovarian inflammation.
“Our findings suggest that loss of the Nfkb1 may cause chronic low-grade inflammation in the ovary, accelerating the age-associated depletion of follicles, leading to early loss of fertility and premature menopause,” Dr Karla Hutt said.
The research matters because only a handful of genetic factors linked to the early and rapid loss of eggs and follicles have been identified so far, leaving a significant gap in understanding of conditions like premature ovarian insufficiency.
And the stakes extend well beyond fertility, given what we’ve recently learnt about how women in Australia are experiencing menopause and perimenopause, as well as added complications that can extend from premature ovarian insufficiency.
“Women with premature ovarian insufficiency not only experience infertility, but also undergo an early decline in ovarian hormone production. This can increase the risk of long-term health conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis,” Dr Hutt said.
“This gene is clearly important for maintaining follicle numbers, and thus ovarian hormone production and female reproductive longevity.”
Dr Hutt said the results warrant investigating the gene in women experiencing infertility. “Such studies could provide valuable insights into fertility genetics which could help inform clinical care,” she said.
“Ultimately, this gene, or inflammatory pathways linked to it, could become targets for interventions aimed at extending a woman’s ovarian and reproductive lifespan.”