Low egg quality –
the impact of age. Blocking
proteins slows decline.
As women age their reproductive ability decreases due to declining egg quality. However, research by Templeman et al (2018) suggests that blocking a particular group of proteins may help to slow this decline, potentially extending the reproductive period.
The proteins, known as cathepsin B proteases, are more common in age-degraded oocytes (unfertilised eggs) and appear to be part of the problem of decreasing quality. By blocking the proteins in C. elegans worms oocyte quality was maintained for much longer, regardless of whether the drug was administered at the beginning or part way through the worms’ reproductive period. Whilst it’s not ready for testing with humans, it points the way towards an interesting new approach.
Original research: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.01.052