Breakthrough in polycystic ovary syndrome research

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is still poorly understood, even though it affects one woman in ten. A French team recently published the results of a study in mice suggesting an interesting avenue of treatment.

PCOS is caused by hormonal imbalance and is accompanied by irregular periods, “cysts” in the ovaries (which are actually an accumulation of immature follicles), and abnormally high levels of androgens. This is one of the main causes of infertility in women. Hormonal imbalance can cause symptoms such as skin problems, excessive hair growth, alopecia and weight gain. Other comorbidities are associated with PCOS, as well as a strong impact on emotional well-being and social stigmatization. At present, PCOS remains an incurable chronic disease.

Researchers from Lille recently published in Cell Metabolism that a possible therapeutic approach to PCOS may lie in the anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) in mice. This hormone is involved in the regulation of ovarian follicle growth. Researchers have shown an association between prenatal and postnatal exposure to high AMH levels and a predisposition to PCOS in adult female offsprings. In mice, the treatment approach considered was to block AMH receptors via an antibody, either shortly after birth for a preventive effect, or later in life for a curative effect, with positive results.

Although this result is encouraging in mice, the physiological differences in the reproductive cycle between this animal and man are a considerable obstacle, as are the potential long-term effects of AMH blockade.