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Tissue remodelling that occurs with age can result in fibrosis. This has been suggested to occur within the ovary, but has not been measured, and the mechanisms of change that occur in ovarian ageing remain largely unknown.

Amargant et al. utilised super resolution imaging via atomic force microscopy to determine and quantitate the changes that occur with age. Using ovaries from mice that were at their ‘reproductive prime’ (6−12 weeks of age) or ‘ageing’ (14−17 months old), age-related modulation in ovarian stiffness was determined. The increased stiffness observed with age was linked to changes in collagen and hyaluronic acid. These changes were also confirmed in human ovarian biopsies.

This suggests that ovarian stiffness is mediated by modulation of extracellular matrix proteins, with a potential impact on follicle development in the ageing ovary.

Read the full article in Aging Cell doi:10.1111/acel.13259