Artificial Ovary

Many women experience weight gain and loss of bone density with the onset of menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help, but also increases the risk of heart disease or breast cancer in some women. This may be due to the fact that HRT is generally limited to one or a combination of three primary hormones – estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Recently a team of researchers developed an implantable capsule made from ovarian tissue that can supply a full range of ovarian hormones to mediate the changes that occur during menopause. Rather than relying on a specific dose of hormones each day, the implant relies on the body’s feedback mechanisms to control how much of each hormone is released.

The implant was compared to traditional HRT in rats that had their ovaries removed. Initially, it was noted that removing the ovaries caused a drop in estrogen and progesterone, but other hormone levels soared. While HRT did nothing to mediate these other levels, in rats with the bioengineered ovary, all levels remained more normal. In addition, although all of the test subjects had less fat gain and bone loss than those receiving no treatment at all, the effect was greater in those rats that received the implant. The next step will be to see if the artificial ovary has a similar effect on humans.