Artificial ovaries and the future of women's health: Shaping novel functions

The advent of tissue engineering has revolutionized the development of organs and tissues, enabling the creation of three-dimensional structures that support cell proliferation and differentiation. This process, essential for organ transplantation, ensures biocompatibility, immunogenicity, and structural fidelity by preserving the extracellular matrix and its components, such as growth factors and signaling molecules. In the context of ovarian tissue engineering, the restoration of ovarian function presents a promising avenue for addressing conditions like ovarian insufficiency, which arises from hormonal, genetic, autoimmune factors, or treatments like chemotherapy. Current challenges in ovarian transplantation, including the need for revascularization, highlight the limitations of existing techniques such as oocyte preservation. Tissue engineering approaches, particularly ovarian recellularization through decellularization, show promise in restoring both reproductive and endocrine functions by mimicking the ovarian microenvironment. Emerging technologies, such as 3D printing and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, although facing their own limitations, offer complementary methods to enhance ovarian tissue engineering. This review examines the state of the art in artificial ovarian reconstruction, with a focus on restoring endocrine and reproductive functions, ultimately advancing women's health by developing bioengineered ovaries.