Ovarian stem cells and aging.
OBJECTIVE
To review successes to date in the field of ovarian stem cell research and discuss the evidence supporting their potential to rejuvenate the follicular pool during adult life; to present factors that may contribute to their competence; and to address the question of why menopause is an inevitable outcome of advanced age if ovarian stem cells exist.


METHODS
In a review of the literature, relevant articles were identified through a PubMed literature search from inception to July 2010.


RESULTS
The current concept that mammalian ovaries possess a static ovarian reserve is at odds with the experimental results discussed in this review. Ovarian stem cells are likely to be the source of germline stem cells during fetal and adult life, due to their potential to differentiate into competent oocytes given a suitable environment.


CONCLUSIONS
Stem cells in different compartments share properties such as pluripotency, self-renewal, and diminished regenerative potential in old age. Our model of ovarian stem cell aging suggests that menopause is driven by an age-related decline in ovarian stem cell function rather than depletion of a non-renewable follicular reserve. Understanding how ovarian stem cells interact with their surrounding environment moves us a step closer to controlling the female biological clock when it might be clinically desirable.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D009866:Oogenesis; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*