Primate ovarian ageing study has implications for human fertility

Scientists from China and the USA have used non-human primate ovaries to improve understanding of why female fertility declines with age.

The team identified several genes, which have potential use as biomarkers, as therapeutic targets for drug discovery, or as diagnostics for age-associated infertility in humans. The mechanisms relating to ovarian ageing and female age-related fertility decline in humans are poorly understood.

'Our research is enabling the identification of new biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of female infertility as well as ageing-associated human ovarian disorders,' said co-author Concepcion Rodriguez Esteban from the Salk institute in La Jolla, California, 'These genes could possibly be targeted for the development of therapies to assist with fertility preservation.'