Can Ovaries Be Rejuvenated? New Study Shows Ovarian Aging May Be Slowed — and Why It Matters

New research from the University of California, San Francisco and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, published in Science, suggests ovarian aging is driven as much by the organ’s surrounding cellular environment as by the loss of eggs. The study mapped the ovary’s cellular landscape and revealed surprising components — including glial-like cells typically found in the nervous system — and a sympathetic nerve network that becomes denser with age.

What the researchers found

Cellular ecosystem: The team emphasizes that ovarian aging is a complex, ecosystem-level process. Changes to nerves, blood vessels and support cells in the ovary appear to influence egg health and the overall aging process.

Unexpected cell types: The discovery of glial cells in ovarian tissue was unanticipated and points to previously overlooked interactions between the nervous system and reproductive tissue.

Nerve density increases with age: The study reports an age-related increase in the density of sympathetic nerves in the ovary, a change that may accelerate functional decline.

Laboratory evidence and implications

Diana Laird, PhD, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF and senior author of the study, notes that preserving the ovarian ecosystem supports egg health. In animal experiments, interventions altered the ovarian environment so that ovaries from 12-month-old mice resembled those of 9-month-old mice — roughly a 25% reduction in apparent biological age in that tissue.

These findings raise the possibility that therapies targeting nerves, blood vessels or other components of the ovarian microenvironment could slow ovarian aging and delay menopause. Delaying menopause has potential benefits beyond fertility: later onset of menopause may preserve years of protection against cardiovascular, metabolic and certain neurologic diseases.

Broader health connections and caution

Raiany Romanni, PhD, a researcher focused on ovarian aging and its links to dementia and lifespan, points out that women spend a larger proportion of later life in poor health and make up a majority of Alzheimer’s patients. Changes in ovarian aging could be one of several factors influencing long-term disease risk.

However, experts caution that mouse results do not directly translate to humans. Ideas such as long-term ovulation suppression or drugs that modify nerve or blood-vessel behavior in the ovary are intriguing but require extensive additional research to evaluate safety, effectiveness and possible side effects.

Next steps

Researchers plan further studies to understand the mechanisms linking ovarian nerves, vasculature and support cells to egg health and systemic aging. New technologies and more detailed mapping of ovarian biology will be essential for developing targeted interventions that are safe for people.

Bottom line: The study reframes ovarian aging as an organ-level, ecosystem problem. Early lab results suggest it may be possible to slow aspects of ovarian aging, which could have important implications for fertility and long-term women's health — but human applications remain preliminary.