Research from Northwestern University and the Buck Institute reveals that postmenopausal ovaries continue to remodel and show signs of inflammation rather than becoming dormant.
Key facts
- •Researchers analyzed 5,812 protein groups from 28 postmenopausal ovaries to track molecular changes.
- •The study compared ovarian tissue from women aged 50 to 75, focusing on a 25-year post-reproductive window.
- •Ovaries showed a transition from maintenance-related proteins to those associated with inflammation as women aged.
- •The findings suggest the ovary may influence systemic aging in other organs, such as the brain and bones.
- •Researchers emphasize that the study does not determine whether healthy ovaries should be removed after menopause.
A new study of 28 human ovaries has revealed that the organ remains biologically active long after menopause, challenging the common assumption that it becomes defunct. Researchers from Northwestern University and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that ovaries continue to undergo structural remodeling and exhibit increased inflammation as women age. The findings suggest the ovary may play a more significant role in systemic aging and chronic disease than previously understood.
By the numbers
Dynamic Molecular Changes
To investigate ovarian activity, scientists utilized advanced proteomic technologies to analyze 5,812 protein groups in tissue samples from women aged 50 to 75. The analysis showed that the organ is not stagnant; while younger postmenopausal ovaries contained more proteins related to cell and tissue maintenance, older ovaries showed higher levels of proteins associated with immune activity, inflammation, and tissue remodeling. These differences were most significant when comparing women in their 50s to those aged 70 and older.
Connection to Aging and Cancer
The study identified molecular patterns in aging ovaries similar to cellular senescence, where cells stop dividing but remain active and signal to surrounding tissues. Researchers noted that while all samples were cancer-free, aging ovaries exhibited an increase in proteins previously linked to ovarian cancer, particularly in women in their 60s. This suggests that healthy ovarian aging and cancer may share biological processes, as the fibrotic and inflammatory environment observed in older ovaries is one that cancer cells often favor.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Medical Xpress.
