As many of you already know (especially those of you who have been reading this blog for a while), the polycystic ovary syndrome it is one of the most common causes of infertility. This disease affects between 5 and 15% of women of childbearing age. Also, for the moment there is neither a cure nor a specific treatment.
In fact, as there are no diagnostic tests for this syndrome, gynecologists and specialists must analyze the medical history of patients and their family history, as well as perform some physical examinations to confirm the disease. This is why from IVI we always recommend that, in case of doubt, you consult a specialist.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS in Spanish or PCOS in English) is characterized by a absence of ovulation that affected women will be able to detect in the form of menstrual irregularities, excess facial or body hair due to high levels of male hormones, etc. Cysts in the ovary, insulin resistance, obesity and acne are other characteristic symptoms of this disease.
Well, now that we’ve gotten into the matter we tell you THE NEWS: And it is that IVI Sevilla, in collaboration with the Institute of Chemical Research (attached to the CSIC) has carried out a study focused on the possible causes of this disease.
To do this, the embryologist Víctor Blasco and a team of researchers, including the director of IVI Sevilla, Dr. Manuel Fernández, have analyzed the expression levels of the neurokinin B and kisspeptin proteins, as well as their receptors. Until now, much was known about why they are in the hypothalamus and what their function is there (they regulate the reproductive hormonal axis), but not so much about their role in the ovary.
Well, the researchers had the hypothesis that, comparing women diagnosed with PCOS on the one hand and women who have been accepted as donors on the other, the levels of these proteins would appear altered in the first group. So it was. In the words of Víctor Blasco, the principal investigator: “These abnormal levels could contribute to the abnormal follicular development and ovulation problems observed in these patients.”
Asked about the possible applications and future phases of this study, the researchers comment that this discovery could open the door to the development of drugs to correct the symptoms of the disease. “In later phases of the study, it will be investigated whether the expression of these genes is also affected in cases of advanced maternal age, endometriosis and low ovarian response,” they explained.
As you know, for us research and being up-to-date are two priorities because we are clear about what it is our goal: to help more and more patients to form the family they want.
