An FSH-lowering activin disrupting therapy prevents egg chromosome and spindle misalignments that predispose to aneuploidy, and increases fertility, in a mouse model of midlife reproductive aging

Abstract

Women of advanced maternal age women (AMA, >age 35) have increased risk of oocyte & embryo aneuploidy, infertility, miscarriages, and trisomic pregnancies (collectively “egg infertility.”). Egg infertility increases markedly with age due to elevated rates of egg aneuploidy. It is a significant public health problem, with 1 in 5 US women now attempting her first pregnancy after 35. Elevated FSH is one of the first signs of ovarian aging. We hypothesize that high FSH is a cause of egg infertility, that elevating FSH activity for the period of oocyte growth will increase egg infertility, and that lowering FSH for the period of oocyte growth will prevent egg infertility.