THE END OF MENOPAUSE? - HOW A NEW VACCINE COULD CHANGE WOMEN'S LIVES

It sounds like a long-awaited promise from the research of the New York biotech company Oviva Therapeutics. The corporation wants to prevent menopause, which most women usually experience between the ages of 45 and 55, with the help of a vaccine. During this time, the female body undergoes hormonal changes that can affect both psychological and physical well-being.

Menopause is typically characterized by irregular or absent menstrual periods, hot flashes, sweating, and muscle and joint pain. But women also struggle psychologically during this time. Many suffer from sleep disorders, mood swings and exhaustion or reduced sexual desire. Menopause also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, among other things.

U.S. researchers want to prevent menopause with a vaccine

The decrease in estrogen, progesterone, and the Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) – a marker indicating how many eggs a woman produces – is responsible for these changes. This is exactly where the vaccine should come in. Because the researchers from Oviva Therapeutics assume that injecting a synthetic form of the AMH will increase the hormone level. "This drug could not only delay menopause, but even prevent it," says Daisy Robinton, a molecular biologist at Oviva Therapeutics involved in the development.

The Anti-Müllerian hormone is produced in the ovaries around the follicles from which the eggs eventually develop. As aging progresses, the number of follicles in the uterus also decreases. With the injection of the hormone, this number should now be influenced. "By using AMH to maintain ovarian reserve, we have the potential to extend the function ofthe ovaries, delay the onset of menopause, and – most importantly – improve women's health as they age," the researchers say.

After all, the ovaries not only play an important role in reproduction, but also contribute significantly to well-being.

Synthetic Anti-Müllerian hormone to increase hormone levels again

First, however, the synthetic AMH must be tested on mice. If this is successful, they want to move on to clinical trials in humans. However, the scientists are confident that they will be able to offer women "additional years of a healthy life" with their therapeutics in the future.

Other studies on mice have already provided data suggesting that ovarian function is linked to longevity. The lifespan of older animals could be extended by six to eleven percent by transplanting younger ovaries into them.

So far, the most effective therapy in menopause is hormone replacement therapy. Here too, the hormone deficiency is compensated for by artificially administering the sex hormones. The results of the AMH study from the U.S. could greatly enrich the still young research field of female reproductive medicine, says Oviva.

"Women's health remains an underfunded and little understood area, both from a biomedical research perspective and clinical development. Our preclinical and clinical strategies will close many gaps in knowledge."

2024-03-28T10:49:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd