Study explores a commonly used drug’s potential to extend female fertility

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

A DRUG – COMMONLY USED TO HELP TREAT TRANSPLANT PATIENTS – HAS BEEN SHOWN TO SLOW OR REVERSE SIGNS OF AGING IN OVARIES IN MICE.

NOW RESEARCHERS OF AN ONGOING CLINICAL TRIAL WANT TO KNOW IF RAPAMYCIN CAN HELP EXTEND FERTILITY IN WOMEN. 

THE STUDY SHOWS – FEMALE MICE GIVEN RAPAMYCIN DAILY DEVELOPED A DELAY IN OVARIAN AGING AND MENOPAUSE – AND EVEN HAD BABIES LATER IN LIFE.

CAN RAPAMYCIN DO THE SAME IN HUMANS?

THE RESEARCHERS RECRUITED 50 WOMEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 35 AND 45 — AND FOR THREE MONTHS – GAVE THEM EITHER RAPAMYCIN OR A PLACEBO TO TAKE DAILY.

A CO-LEADER OF THE STUDY — YOUSIN SUH, A PROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY – SPOKE TO THE GUARDIAN AND SAID EARLY RESULTS SHOW – IT COULD BE “REALISTIC TO HOPE THE DRUG COULD DECREASE OVARY AGEING BY 20%.”

SHE SAID IF THE TRIALS ARE SUCCESSFUL – RAPAMYCIN COULD GIVE HOPE TO WOMEN WHO ARE WANTING TO GET PREGNANT LATER IN LIFE.

SOME WOMEN ARE CURRENTLY PUTTING OFF HAVING CHILDREN INTO THEIR 30S AND 40S — AND EVEN THOUGH LIFE EXPECTANCY RATES HAVE INCREASED OVER THE YEARS, FERTILITY HAS NOT. BY THE AGE OF 35 – A WOMAN’S FERTILITY STARTS DECLINING WHEN THE FOLLICLE ACTIVITY BEGINS TO RAPIDLY DETERIORATE.

THE STUDY’S AUTHORS SAY MENOPAUSE USUALLY BEGINS AROUND THE AGE OF 51 AND CAN CAUSE  HEALTH COMPLICATIONS – SUCH AS AN INCREASE IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, OSTEOPOROSIS AND DEMENTIA. EXTENDING THE REPRODUCTIVE LIFE-SPAN, THEY SAY, CAN ALLOW MORE WOMEN TO CHOOSE WHEN TO HAVE CHILDREN AND CAN DELAY THOSE “NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF MENOPAUSE.”

 NOW THE RESEARCHERS WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP OF THE TRIALS AND RECRUIT 1,000 WOMEN – TO SEE IF RAPAMYCIN CAN EXTEND FERTILITY.

THEY’RE EXPECTED TO REPORT THE NEXT PHASE OF THE STUDY’S FINDINGS IN TWO YEARS.

FOR SAN, I’M LT..