Journal of Ovarian Research最新文献

{"title":"Dissecting the transcriptomic signature of porcine oocyte during primordial follicle formation from single cell resolution.","authors":"Xin-Hao Zhang, Kai Zhang, Yu Tian, Gui-Li Ruan, Fa-Li Zhang, Ke-Xin Zhu, Ai-Ying Li, Wei Shen, Jun-Jie Wang","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02126-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02126-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ovarian reserve, refers to the number of primordial follicle (PF) in mammals, is a decisive factor affecting the reproductive lifespan of females. However, the molecular mechanism of PF formation has not been fully elucidated, especially in large mammals. In the study, the ovarian tissues at embryonic day 95 (E95) and postnatal day 0 (PD0) were collected for single-nucleus transcriptome sequencing, attempting to investigate the transcriptome dynamic of porcine oocyte during PF formation at a single-cell level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the results, we identified in detail three germ cell clusters with different transcriptional modes. Moreover, through a comparative analysis of developmental trajectory in pig, mouse and monkey, several conserved regulatory genes that associated with the developmental fate of germ cells were identified. By employing SCENIC software, we identified 27 transcription factors specific to developmental stages of germ cells. In addition, a protein interaction network between transcription factors and conserved genes was constructed and it discovered a key transcription factor, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), which is expressed exclusively in oocytes during PF formation, and there is the asynchrony of its expression in germ cells between the medulla and cortex regions. Further, during the in vitro culture of mouse ovaries, the inhibition of EZH2 expression significantly decreased the number of oocytes and leading to the decline of protein expressions that essential for PF formation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides a single-cell map of pig ovary in the late embryonic development and newly born periods, and enriches the public understanding of primordial follicle formation in mammals.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13466142/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147982178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oncofertility outcomes after fertility-sparing surgery for borderline ovarian tumors: results of a large retrospective study.","authors":"Rongmin Wang, Yinping Xiao, Taniya Fernando, Yanli Chen, Xiaoyong Zhu","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02142-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02142-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) is a key therapeutic strategy for borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) in young women. However, the optimal surgical approaches and the prognostic significance of clinicopathological features remain a subject of debate. This study aimed to evaluate the oncological safety and reproductive outcomes following FSS in a large cohort of young BOT patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively reviewed 533 patients (aged 20-40 years) diagnosed with BOTs who underwent FSS at a single academic medical center between 2010 and 2021. Survival outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. To identify independent prognostic factors for recurrence, variable selection was performed using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression, followed by multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis with backward elimination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over a median follow-up of 61.90 months (range: 1.03-176.53months), 85 (15.95%) patients experienced recurrence, comprising 77 (14.45%) borderline recurrences and 8 (1.50%) invasive transformation. The 5-year and 10-year disease-free survival rates were 82.0% and 75.9%, respectively. Multivariable analysis identified bilateral ovarian lesions (HR 2.07, p = 0.017), exophytic growth (HR 3.66, p < 0.001), intraepithelial carcinoma (HR 4.23, p = 0.004), and FIGO stage III (HR 2.23, p = 0.014) as independent prognostic risk factors for recurrence. Notably, peritoneal biopsy was associated with a significantly lower recurrence risk (HR 0.42, p = 0.004). Histological stratification revealed that for serous BOTs, exophytic growth (HR 4.05, p < 0.001), cystectomy (HR 3.03, p = 0.008), FIGO stage III (HR 2.46, p = 0.011) were risk factors, while peritoneal biopsy (HR 0.44, p = 0.018) remained protective. For MBOT, intraoperative chromotubation was identified as a risk factor (HR 8.62, p < 0.001). Among 176 patients attempting conception, the live birth rate was 70.45%. In those utilizing assisted reproductive technology (n = 31), the pregnancy and live birth rates were 77.42% and 48.39%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>FSS is oncologically safe and offers favorable reproductive outcomes for young women with BOTs. The identified prognostic factors were instrumental in tailoring individualized surveillance and management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13371633/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147987982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Calcitriol is involved in maintaining primordial follicle reserve through the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.","authors":"Shuang Liu, Ye Chen, Hongwei Wei, Huiyu Liu, Weiyong Wang, Yanli Sun, Luchun Zhang, Sihui He, Xiaodan Zhang, Jingjie Li, Meijia Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02135-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02135-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In mammals, precise regulation of primordial follicle activation is essential for maintaining the female reproductive lifespan. In this study, we demonstrated that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed in both pre-granulosa cells and oocytes within primordial follicles of mice and humans.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The VDR ligand, calcitriol, was tested through ovarian culture and intraperitoneal injection experiments in neonatal mice. In addition, oral administration of the calcitriol precursor VD3 was performed in mice. Calcitriol was also tested on cultured human ovarian fragments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Calcitriol inhibited the activation of primordial follicles in neonatal mice. Moreover, calcitriol promoted the formation of the VDR-RXR-p85α complex, thereby stabilizing the PI3K heterodimer (p85α/p110) and inhibiting activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. This resulted in reduced phosphorylation of FOXO3a in the ovaries and decreased nuclear export in oocytes of primordial follicles, thereby suppressing the activation of primordial follicles. Oral administration of VD3 significantly decreased the number of growing follicles and prolonged the reproductive age in mice compared with controls. Importantly, calcitriol also inhibited human primordial follicle activation and reduced p-Akt levels in cultured ovarian fragments.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Thus, calcitriol inhibits the activation of both mouse and human primordial follicles by suppressing the VDR-mediated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. As an oral medication, the calcitriol precursor VD3 may be used to maintain the primordial follicle reserve and extend the reproductive age in women.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13386817/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147987980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ubiquitin-specific proteases in ovarian cancer: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications.","authors":"Lu Deng, Yuzhao Jiang, Danning Wang, Jing Yu, Lingying Wu","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02138-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02138-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies, largely due to late-stage diagnosis, frequent recurrence, and the development of resistance to standard therapies. These clinical challenges highlight the urgent need for a deeper understanding of the biological processes driving OC and the identification of novel therapeutic targets. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is a central mechanism for selective protein degradation. Accumulating evidence indicates that deubiquitinases, particularly ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs), are key regulators of oncogenic signaling and therapy response in OC. This review provides a comprehensive overview of how dysregulated USPs shape major cancer hallmarks in OC, including cell-cycle control, DNA damage repair and genomic stability, apoptosis, metastasis, metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion. We further summarize advances in developing USP-directed pharmacologic inhibitors, discuss emerging translational strategies, and evaluate the rationale for combining USP inhibition with established treatments such as platinum-based chemotherapy and poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) to overcome resistance. Collectively, understanding USP-dependent networks may facilitate the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets, offering new strategies for precision treatment in OC.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13362014/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147973284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ovarian tissue oocyte-in vitro maturation combined with ovarian tissue cryopreservation: a promising urgent fertility preservation strategy for hematological patients before HSCT.","authors":"Yingqiao Ding, Tiantian Su, Yanling Wan, Yanru Hou, Yuan Fan, Fang Fang, Peng Zuo, Xiaowei Li, Shengnan Duan, Nannan Huang, Jianliu Wang, Lanping Xu, Rong Liang, Li Tian","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02136-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02136-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hematological diseases to be treated with HSCT are a definite indication for fertility preservation (FP). Ovarian tissue oocyte in vitro maturation (OTO-IVM) combined with ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) may be a promising and urgent FP strategy for this population. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of OTO-IVM for this population and identify which hematological diseases are more likely to benefit from OTO-IVM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included 44 hematological patients before HSCT who underwent the OTO-IVM combined with OTC for urgent FP. Patients were divided into the malignant hematological disease (MHD) and non-MHD groups and the OTO-IVM outcomes were retrospectively analysed. Donated ovarian tissues from MHD, non-MHD and control group were subjected to further molecular and pathological study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients with non-MHD exhibited significantly higher serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels (4.36 ± 3.14 vs. 2.08 ± 1.57, p = 0.017) and a greater number of retrieved immature oocytes (10.58 ± 7.54 vs. 4.85 ± 3.26, p = 0.012) than those with MHD. Although the maturation rate showed a non-significant decreasing trend in the non-MHD group (35.80 ± 28.12 vs. 49.83 ± 33.96, p = 0.163), multivariable analysis demonstrated that non-MHD was associated with a lower per-patient IVM rate. The final number of MII oocytes did not differ significantly between groups (3.58 ± 4.07 vs. 2.23 ± 2.01, p = 0.264). Notably, increased apoptosis of ovarian stromal cells may contribute to impaired oocyte maturation competence in patients with aplastic anemia (AA). Consistently, AA ovarian tissues displayed activation of apoptotic signalling pathways and dysregulated T cell activation-associated gene expression compared with MHD and impaired oocyte development and maturation compared with control group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>OTO-IVM combined with OTC appears feasible for urgent fertility preservation in hematological patients prior to HSCT. Our exploratory findings suggest that ovarian stromal cell apoptosis may contribute to reduced oocyte maturation competence in AA, which warrants further validation and optimization of maturation rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13352784/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147973203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Progress of estrogen receptor and splice variants in ovarian carcinoma.","authors":"Ting Mo, Ziqi Hong, Youqiong Mo, Jing Tian, Jian Chen","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02122-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02122-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ovarian cancer is a typical estrogen-dependent tumor, with its initiation and progression closely associated with estrogen regulation. Estrogen exerts physiological effects by binding to estrogen receptors (ERs), and aberrant activation of ER signaling pathways is a crucial mechanism in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. ERα promotes ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration, and is linked to cisplatin resistance, while its splice variants modulate cancer cell sensitivity to tamoxifen. Conversely, ERβ functions as a tumor suppressor and counteracts the pro-tumorigenic effects of ERα. Distinct ERβ subtypes have divergent biological functions, and their agonists can enhance cancer cell chemosensitivity. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), a membrane estrogen receptor, mediates the non-genomic effects of estrogen. Its role depends on clinical stages and subcellular localization, and its association with ovarian cancer prognosis is under debate. GPER1 may interact with ERα in ovarian cancer, yet the specific crosstalk mechanism remains unelucidated. Elucidating the complex functional crosstalk of estrogen and ERs, as well as the diverse roles of ER splice variants, is expected to provide novel insights for the early diagnosis and identification of therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13339317/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147930567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hyperhomocysteinemia reduces the high-quality embryo rate in PCOS patients undergoing IVF/ICSI: clinical evidence and a preliminary exploration of mechanisms in KGN cells.","authors":"Haofei Shen, Tianyu Jia, Xiaorong Luo, Jianxiu Zheng, Chunjie Zhang, Shan Gao, Xuehong Zhang, Junjun Huang","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02120-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02120-y","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulfur-containing intermediate metabolite during methionine metabolism. Studies indicate that individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have higher circulating Hcy levels relative to unaffected populations. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) has been implicated in multisystem cytotoxicity. This study was designed to evaluate the association between Hcy levels and embryo quality and pregnancy outcomes in PCOS patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Mechanistic insights were explored through in vitro assays and combined network pharmacology analyses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 599 patients with PCOS who were undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stratified into three groups based on Hcy levels (low, intermediate, and high). Comparative analyses of clinical and laboratory parameters were performed across strata. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to evaluate the independent association between Hcy levels and reproductive outcomes after adjustment for potential confounders. In vitro assays were conducted using KGN cells, a human granulosa-like tumor-derived cell line. Cellular viability after exposure to graded concentrations of Hcy was quantified using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, while cell apoptosis was observed via flow cytometry. For systems-level analysis, Hcy-associated targets were retrieved from SwissTargetPrediction, TargetNet, BATMAN-TCM, and PharmMapper databases. PCOS-related targets were curated from OMIM, GeneCards, DrugBank, and DisGeNET repositories. Overlapping targets were analyzed for protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction using the STRING platform, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Comparative univariate analysis showed a significant difference in the high-quality embryos among the three Hcy strata, whereas other clinical parameters did not reach statistical significance. Multivariable regression analysis identified a robust inverse association between Hcy level and high-quality embryo rate (β = -1.04, 95% CI: -1.36 to -0.72; p &lt; 0.0001), which remained stable after adjustment for confounding variables, including creatinine clearance rate (β = -1.06, 95% CI: -1.40 to -0.72; p &lt; 0.0001). In vitro results showed that exposure to Hcy (80-160 µM, 24 h) significantly reduced KGN cell viability and increased apoptotic rates in a concentration-dependent manner. Network pharmacology analysis identified 102 intersecting targets that may mediate Hcy-associated effects in PCOS. KEGG pathway enrichment revealed significant involvement in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis, viral infections (i.e., hepatitis B and cytomegalovirus), the AGE-RAGE signaling pathways in diabetic complications, and the TNF","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13339867/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147930522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Loss of DLGAP5 impairs human and mouse oocyte maturation via disrupting the PI3K-AKT signaling axis.","authors":"Meng Wang, Juepu Zhou, Youzhu Li, Zhou Li, Rui Long, Xiangfei Wang, Ruolin Mao, Lei Xu, Lei Cai, Bing Han, Xiyuan Dong, Na Guo, Huizi Jin, Limin Gao, Jihui Ai, Qingsong Xi, Lei Jin, Lixia Zhu","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02134-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02134-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>At present, the known genetic causes of abnormal oocyte development can only account for a minority of female infertility. In our previous study, the mutation c.1101 C > G, p.Tyr367* in discs large-associated protein 5 (DLGAP5) was identified as a novel genetic cause of human oocyte maturation abnormality and female infertility. The present study aimed to validate the function of DLGAP5 in oocyte maturation and further explore the underlying mechanism by which DLGAP5 regulates oocyte meiosis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cell experiments elucidated that DLGAP5 participates in cell division, and its depletion induced G2/M arrest. The depletion of DLGAP5 in human oocytes by microinjection of siRNAs resulted in abnormal spindle morphology and oocyte maturation defects, exhibiting reduced germinal vesicle breakdown and polar body 1 extrusion rate. In addition, a similar phenotype of abnormal oocyte development was observed in Dlgap5-deficient mouse oocytes, which could be rescued by DLGAP5 cRNA microinjection. Furthermore, single-cell RNA Sequencing showed Dlgap5 knockout altered expression of genes involving in meiosis process in oocytes and deactivated PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. And PI3K-AKT activators facilitated the oocyte maturation resumption in Dlgap5-deficient mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>DLGAP5 has been demonstrated to regulate the process of oocyte maturation via the activation of PI3K-AKT pathway. It reinforces the significant role of DLGAP5 function in oocyte maturation regulation and reveals the underlying mechanism. It provides crucial insights into clinical consultation, genetic diagnosis, and treatment strategies among infertile patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13339279/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147930487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metaphase I-arrest oocyte with agar-like zona pellucida, abandon or not abandon?","authors":"Juepu Zhou, Qingsong Xi, Meng Wang, Ruolin Mao, Qiyu Yang, Bingxin Ma, Na Guo, Dan Li, Limin Gao, Xiangfei Wang, Rui Long, Jihui Ai, Lei Jin, Lixia Zhu","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02133-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02133-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The morphological appearance of zona pellucida (ZP) is considered to be predictive of the quality of the oocytes and embryos. Agar-like ZP represents a common type of ZP abnormality, which is usually associated with significant defects in oocyte maturation and typically leads to unfavorable assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. Currently, the intrinsic properties of agar-like ZP oocytes remain unclear, and effective strategies to improve the ART outcomes for such patients are still lacking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We explored the intrinsic characteristics of metaphase I (MI)-arrest oocytes with agar-like ZP through RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, and polarization microscope. Preemptive intracytoplasmic sperm injection (Pre-ICSI), i.e., performing ICSI on MI-arrest oocytes with agar-like ZP, was attempted, and its clinical outcomes were evaluated. What's more, we analyzed the potential mechanism of the effectiveness of Pre-ICSI.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We uncovered the intrinsic nature of MI-arrest oocytes with agar-like ZP, revealing that these oocytes have inherently achieved nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation and should not be abandoned. Based on the fertilization and developmental potential of MI-arrest oocytes with agar-like ZP, we proposed Pre-ICSI as a targeted therapeutic strategy for such oocytes. Clinical results confirmed Pre-ICSI enabled the successful fertilization and development of these oocytes into available embryos, significantly improving the ART outcomes for patients with agar-like ZP. Further mechanical properties detection showed that the stiffness of agar-like ZP and narrow perivitelline space mechanically restrained the first polar body (PB) separating from the cytoplasm in space during the first meiosis. The mechanical intervention of Pre-ICSI, along with the dynamic changes in the cytoplasm post-insemination, provided space for the extrusion of PBs, thus facilitating the fertilization process.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>MI-arrest oocytes with agar-like ZP possess intact nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation, representing a highly viable and valuable gamete pool rather than inherently defective discards. When managed with the targeted Pre-ICSI strategy, these oocytes can be successfully rescued, significantly improving the yield of available embryos and the overall success rate of IVF for these patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13335020/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147930494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ovarian aging: maintenance and activation of the primordial follicle pool.","authors":"Qian Wang, Guodong Zhao, Jiaqi Zhou","doi":"10.1186/s13048-026-02116-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13048-026-02116-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As the earliest aging organ in females, the ovary undergoes functional decline and structural senescence that drive reproductive system alterations. Central to this process is the primordial follicle-the non-renewable reserve of female germ cells and the sole source for oocyte development. The primordial follicle pool is established prenatally, fixed in quantity, and cannot regenerate after birth, serving as the fundamental biological reserve that determines both fertility potential and reproductive lifespan. Once depletion begins, it is irreversible, directly limiting the reproductive window and influencing ovarian endocrine function. Therefore, this review briefly summarizes the latest research progress on primordial follicle development, providing an in-depth analysis of primordial follicle dormancy and activation mechanisms as well as therapeutic approaches for associated complications. This work holds significant implications for understanding reproductive aging, preventing and treating reproductive endocrine disorders, and developing novel fertility strategies, offering valuable references for comprehending the biological mechanisms and potential applications of primordial follicles.</p>","PeriodicalId":16610,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ovarian Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13334762/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147874456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}