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Study prompts rethink of how ovaries develop

Date:
February 11, 2013
Source:
University of Adelaide
Summary:
New research will rewrite the textbooks on how an ovary is formed, as well as providing new insights into women's health and fertility.
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New research from the University of Adelaide will rewrite the textbooks on how an ovary is formed, as well as providing new insights into women's health and fertility.

The study, now published in the journal PLOS ONE, also names a new type of cell that plays a key role in the development of ovaries and ovarian follicles, which are responsible for the production of eggs in women.

The discovery is expected to prompt further studies around the world to better understand how ovaries and ovarian follicles develop in female fetuses. This could be critical to treating or preventing a range of health conditions in later life, including infertility and ovarian cancer.

"For more than a decade, scientists have believed that ovarian follicle cells are derived from the epithelial cells on the surface of the ovary as it develops," says research leader Professor Ray Rodgers, from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute.

"Instead, contrary to conventional thinking, we've found a new cell type that is the precursor to both the cells on the surface of the ovary and the follicular cells. We call this the GREL (Gonadal Ridge Epithelial-Like) cell."

Professor Rodgers says this work could lead to new insights into a range of conditions, such as premature ovarian failure, early menopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and ovarian cancer.

"The role of the ovarian follicle in many of these conditions is very important," he says. "For example, the PCOS ovary is associated with an increased number of growing follicles that at some point just stop working.

"With early menopause, there is a theory that some women may not have had enough egg-producing ovarian follicles at development, so once their reserve of follicles has been used up earlier, menopause sets in.

"Ovarian cancer is a different story -- about 90% of ovarian cancers are of an epithelial type. However, our study has shown us for the first time that when the ovary is first developing, it doesn't have an epithelial layer. Why this is, we're not sure yet."


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Adelaide. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Katja Hummitzsch, Helen F. Irving-Rodgers, Nicholas Hatzirodos, Wendy Bonner, Laetitia Sabatier, Dieter P. Reinhardt, Yoshikazu Sado, Yoshifumi Ninomiya, Dagmar Wilhelm, Raymond J. Rodgers. A New Model of Development of the Mammalian Ovary and Follicles. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e55578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055578

Cite This Page:

University of Adelaide. "Study prompts rethink of how ovaries develop." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 February 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130211102059.htm>.
University of Adelaide. (2013, February 11). Study prompts rethink of how ovaries develop. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 11, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130211102059.htm
University of Adelaide. "Study prompts rethink of how ovaries develop." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130211102059.htm (accessed October 11, 2024).

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