The ovaries are still changing after menopause! Human study reveals link between aging and ovarian cancer

After a woman's menopause, although her ovaries no longer ovulate, it does not mean that the tissue has completely ceased activity. An American research team analyzed healthy ovarian tissue from 28 menopausal women and found that protein composition changes with age, and also found clues to inflammation and tissue fibrosis related to ovarian cancer.

According to "ScienceAlert", this study was led by researchers from Northwestern University and the Buck Institute on Aging, and the results were published in "Aging Cell". The research team used mass spectrometry to analyze the ovarian tissue of women aged 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and over 70 years old, and identified 17 core proteins that are closely related to aging changes.

The study found that the ovarian tissue of women aged 50 to 59 has more proteins related to gene regulation and maintaining cell and tissue structure; the ovarian tissue of women over 70 years old has more proteins related to fat metabolism, immune response and inflammation, showing that ovarian tissue continues to change with age.

The team noted that these results are consistent with previous mouse studies showing that postmenopausal ovaries still undergo biological changes with age.

The study also found that some proteins related to ovarian cancer are more abundant in healthy ovarian tissue of postmenopausal women, especially those in their 60s. Researchers believe that as age increases, ovarian tissue may gradually accumulate collagen and undergo fibrosis and inflammation, creating an environment conducive to the growth of cancer cells. However, this study looked at ovarian tissue without pathological abnormalities and cannot yet prove that these changes cause ovarian cancer.

The research team hopes to use these findings to further explore whether changes in ovarian aging can be used to identify biomarkers related to ovarian cancer or serve as a research direction for developing treatment targets in the future.