Life is not fair: while men can reproduce until they die, for females their reproduction ability declines over their lifetime. This is because men continuously create new gametes (sperm), while females relay on the gametes (eggs) they have since their birth. Therefore, while sperms are always young and fresh, the eggs get old and get some damage over time. This is true not only for mammals but also for invertebrates. However, there may be a treatment against the decreasing egg quality. Nicole M. Templeman et al. analyzed the effect of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 signaling pathway on the egg (oocyte) quality. This growth factor is known to regulate longevity and that it slows down reproductive aging. Comparison between gene expression in oocytes from wildtype C.elegans (small roundworm) and IGF-1 mutants show that Cathepsin-B protease activity is reduced in the IGF-1 mutants. In the wildtype, Cathepsin-B protease activity rises with age, and it is assumed that this leads to the age-dependent deterioration in oocyte quality. Indeed, Templeman et al. were able to show that pharmacological inhibition of Cathepsin-B protease can slow down the age-related reproductive decline in C.elegans. Of course, there is a difference between C.elegans and humans, but nevertheless, this is a promising result. Maybe in some years, we can help aged women to increase their chance for healthy children with this treatment.
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März 2018
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