Science May Soon Be Able to Rewind Your Fertility Clock

Using a metabolic compound, researchers have discovered a way to reverse the aging process in the eggs of… mice.

While true not all discoveries in mice are transferable to humans, this appears to be a major step towards reversing the natural aging process of eggs.

As women age the quality and number of their eggs naturally declines. Recent societal changes have driven up the average age that women are having babies. These changes have led to an increasing in fertility rate across many countries, including Canada.

It is fairly common knowledge that women’s fertility rates, including the Quality of their eggs, begins to decline at about the age of 30. By the time most women reach about 45, they will have difficulty conceiving.

Researchers in this study have discovered a link between a certain molecule and the loss of egg quality, in mice. They found that as mice age they experienced a declining level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). It is believed this declining level may contribute to declining fertility.

What is unknown is whether the results transfer to humans. Researchers hope that further study could lead to a therapy to treat the aging process as it relates to fertility in humans. It is generally accepted that reproductive aging is natural and irreversible. However, it is unknown whether a future treatment might be preventive only, or curative.

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