The biological dogma that women don’t make new eggs after birth may be wrong | Scientific American

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-biological-dogma-that-women-dont-make-new-eggs-after-birth-may-be-wrong

Scientists have long believed that female mammals are born with a limited egg supply, which slowly gets depleted throughout a woman’s lifetime until finally being exhausted at menopause. However, recent studies have suggested the possibility of halting or reversing menopause, revealing that the biology of reproductive aging may be far less static than scientists once believed. The discovery of a discrepancy between the rate at which eggs died off and the number that remained later in life further suggested that new egg production could be occurring. Some scientists proposed that specialized stem cells called oogonial stem cells, or OSCs, may be producing new oocytes, just as spermatogonial stem cells continue to produce sperm in the testes. Stem cells are rare, unspecialized cells that can become a variety of cell types and are incredibly useful for bodily repair and regeneration. Scientists hope OSCs can lead to treatments for infertility, help restore ovarian function in cancer patients, and even treat or delay menopause.

I believe the current evidence is insufficient to change the long-standing belief that women are born with a limited number of eggs, but further research and discoveries could certainly give this theory a fair chance. The possibilities unlocked through further OSC-related research are enormous.

The potential discovery of OSCs being able to produce human eggs opens up tremendous medical potential. OSCs could pause or even reverse menopause, the long-believed stage in which egg cells are thought to run out. They could also contribute to hormone replacement therapy, improve fertility treatments, and help restore ovarian function in cancer patients.

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