Ovaries develop immunological functions after menopause

A study led by researcher Francesca Duncan has revealed that ovaries acquire new immunological functions following menopause, challenging the previous assumption that the organ loses its utility once reproductive functions cease.

Published in the journal Molecular Human Reproduction, the research began in 2021 as part of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) project investigating cellular senescence—a state where cells remain alive but stop dividing. By analyzing the ovaries of women aged 50 to 75, the team observed distinct protein production changes associated with aging.

To further the investigation, researchers utilized mouse models, noting that ovaries outside the reproductive phase showed increased activity in genes linked to immune molecules circulating in the blood. The research team is now working to determine whether aged ovaries act as reservoirs for immune cells or provide signaling to the rest of the body, and whether this activity is connected to increased chronic inflammation in post-menopausal women.