Ovary development theory overturned
14 Feb 2013 by Evoluted New Media
The theory of ovary development has been overturned by new research from the University of Adelaide. The findings provide new insights into women’s health and fertility and will result in rewriting of medical textbooks.
Published in PLoS ONE, the paper “A new model of development of the mammalian ovary and follicles” describes a new type of cell that plays a fundamental role in the development of ovaries and ovarian follicles.
“For more than a decade, scientists have believed that ovarian follicle cells are derived from the epithelial cells on the surface of the ovary as it develops,” said Professor Ray Rodgers, from the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Institute. “Instead, contrary to conventional thinking, we’ve found a new cell type that is the precursor to both the cells on the surface of the ovary and the follicular cells. We call this the GREL (Gonadal Ridge Epithelial-Like) cell.
Using bovine foetal ovaries, Rodger’s team identified GREL by conducting immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy to chronologically track all of the different cell types that emerged during ovary development.
Knowing how the foetal ovary develops is particularly important for a better understanding of human medical conditions such as premature ovarian failure, early menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS and ovarian cancer.
“The role of the ovarian follicle in many of these conditions is very important. The PCOS ovary is associated with an increased number of growing follicles that at some point just stop working. With early menopause, there is a theory that some women may not have had enough egg-producing ovarian follicles at development, so once their reserve of follicles has been used up earlier, menopause sets in. Ovarian cancer is a different story -- about 90% of ovarian cancers are of an epithelial type. However, our study has shown us for the first time that when the ovary is first developing, it doesn't have an epithelial layer. Why this is, we're not sure yet,” said Rodgers.
