Models and Biomarkers for Ovarian Ageing

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology and endocrinology.
• Gerontology and menopause research.

Background:

• Ovarian reserve, defined by non-growing follicles (NGFs), declines with age, influencing menopause onset.
• Accurate assessment of ovarian reserve is crucial for reproductive health and fertility management.
• Direct counting of NGFs in vivo is currently not technologically feasible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the concept of ovarian reserve and its assessment.
• To review and compare existing biomarkers for estimating ovarian reserve.
• To discuss recent advances and future directions in ovarian reserve research.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and models for ovarian reserve assessment.
• Analysis of serum biomarkers: anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
• Assessment of ultrasound-based markers: ovarian volume (OV) and antral follicle count (AFC).

Main Results:

• Ovarian volume (OV) shows promise as a biomarker across a wide age range.
• Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) are popular and effective for post-pubertal and pre-menopausal ages.
• Genetic and subcellular biomarkers have yielded less definitive results to date.

Conclusions:

• Biomarkers like AMH, FSH, OV, and AFC are essential for non-invasive ovarian reserve estimation.
• Further research is needed to refine existing biomarkers and explore novel genetic and subcellular markers.
• Understanding ovarian reserve dynamics is key to managing reproductive aging and fertility.