Menopause, genes found that allow it to be delayed

The end of female reproductive life is influenced by DNA: there are in fact 290 genetic variations and about 80 genes that modulate the arrival of menopause, whether early or late.

But by manipulating some of these genes, it becomes possible to delay their initiation, as some laboratory experiments on mice have shown.

The result obtained in rodents is a proof of principle that in the future could help develop new therapies for infertility, as explained by the study published in the journal Nature.

180 institutions from all over the world participated in the research, coordinated by the British University of Cambridge, including several Italian centers, including the San Raffaele Institute in Milan, the National Research Council (Cnr) of Cagliari and the Burlo Garofolo of Trieste. The researchers, led by John Perry, worked on two fronts: one in genetic and statistical analysis, and the other in the laboratory. In particular, they analyzed the genetic data present in two databases of 210,323 women of European origin, who entered menopause between 40 and 60 years, and of 80,000 women of Asian origin, for a total of about 13.1 million genetic variants. Of these, 290 have been found to regulate the aging process of the ovaries and the period of onset of menopause. Furthermore, many of these genesthey are linked to DNA repair processes, some of them are active even before birth and others continue to be active throughout life.

"A total of 290 variants and around 80 genes that regulate the natural age of menopause have been identified. Many of these are involved in cell death and DNA repair. A mechanism that also leads to the loss of oocytes," explains all. ANSA Daniela Toniolo, researcher at the San Raffaele Center for Friendly Sciences.