Study Finds 17 Proteins Shift in Postmenopausal Ovaries, Driving Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Oct 14
Study Finds 17 Proteins Shift in Postmenopausal Ovaries, Driving Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation
3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Oct 14
Summary
Researchers analyzing healthy ovaries from 28 postmenopausal women found the organs remain biologically active, with protein patterns changing across ages 50-59, 60-69 and 70-plus rather than becoming inert.
Mass spectrometry identified a core set of 17 proteins behind that shift: younger postmenopausal ovaries showed more RNA, DNA and tissue-maintenance activity, while ovaries from women 70 and older showed more lipid metabolism, innate immunity and inflammation.
The findings matched earlier mouse data, strengthening the case that menopause marks a functional transition for ovaries rather than the end of their biological role.
Proteins previously linked to ovarian cancer were abundant—especially in women in their 60s—and age-related fibrosis and inflammatory changes may help explain why ovarian cancer risk rises after menopause.
Published in Aging Cell, the study offers a roadmap for testing biomarkers and therapies aimed at lowering cancer risk and understanding how ovaries influence aging beyond reproduction.