ERC Advanced Grant for research into slowing ovarian ageing

By: Lennart 't Hart

Researcher Susana Chuva de Sousa Lopes, professor of Developmental Biology at the LUMC, is investigating whether this process can be slowed down. For this research, she has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant, one of Europe’s most prestigious research grants. With the €2.5 million award, she aims to uncover how ovaries can remain healthy and functional for longer.

The motivation for this research is both scientific and personal. “I’m at the age where menopause is approaching. Suddenly you realise what may be coming your way: sleep problems, physical complaints and mental fluctuations. That prospect simply isn’t pleasant for many women.”

Ovaries age first

The ovary is the first organ to undergo irreversible ageing. Yet we still know too little about why this process begins so early. Lopes wants to better understand what exactly happens as women grow older and which mechanisms are involved.

“The goal is not to change nature, but to give women more healthy years,” she says.

According to Lopes, menopause often occurs at a time when women are still highly active in their careers. At the same time, people are having children later in life, while the body does not automatically adapt to that shift. As the supply of egg cells decreases and the production of oestrogen drops, the risk of conditions such as osteoporosis, dementia, cardiovascular disease and bone fractures increases.

“If we could stretch that process by a few years, or even ten, it would make a huge difference for many women.”

Research into blood vessels, nerves and energy supply

Together with her research group, Lopes is mapping how blood vessels, nerves and energy supply in the ovary change during ageing. Using advanced 3D imaging and precise measurements, the researchers aim to discover why follicles, the fluid‑filled sacs in which egg cells grow, eventually function less effectively.

The team is also exploring several strategies that might slow ageing. One line of research focuses on short‑chain fatty acids, natural substances produced by gut bacteria. These may help prevent egg cells from becoming active too early.

Another approach investigates whether stem cell therapy can improve blood flow in the ovaries. By adding supportive cells, the researchers hope to strengthen and improve the environment surrounding egg cells. They are also examining whether mural cells can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels in older ovaries.

More than fertility

Although slower ovarian ageing could potentially affect fertility at later ages, this is not the main focus, Lopes emphasises.

“In theory, women could remain fertile for longer, but egg quality already declines significantly before menopause. Even if a woman still has a cycle, the quality of her eggs is often already reduced.”

If the research eventually also contributes to better egg quality, that would be a welcome bonus, she says. “But the focus is on health.”

Intervening in the ageing process

The question of whether scientists should interfere with natural ageing processes is often debated. Lopes sees her research as a logical extension of existing medical progress.

“In a sense, everything in medicine is tinkering. Taking antibiotics or receiving a blood transfusion are also forms of intervention.”

According to her, a solution does not necessarily have to come from medication or complex treatments. The research also looks at lifestyle and nutrition. “We know, for example, that women who eat little fibre tend to reach menopause earlier. Perhaps we can influence the process through diet or supplements.”

Careful use of donor tissue

For the research, the team uses donated ovarian tissue. This comes from women who had ovarian tissue frozen before cancer treatment for their own fertility preservation and who gave permission for scientific use after their death. The team also uses ovarian tissue donated by transgender individuals during their transition.

More healthy years for women

Ultimately, Lopes hopes to gain a clearer understanding of the biological processes responsible for ovarian ageing, and whether they can be influenced.

“Maybe we’ll find a particular molecule, or we’ll be able to show that something as simple as eating more fibre affects the process. Only when we see in the lab that a mechanism can be influenced can we investigate whether it also has an effect in women.”

For now, the research remains fundamental. “That’s still a long way off. First we need to know whether ovarian ageing can be slowed at all.”

Europe recognises the importance of slowing ovarian ageing

The ERC Advanced Grant is intended for experienced researchers who want to explore innovative, high‑risk ideas with potentially major impact. Only a small share of applications is successful. The fact that Lopes has received this grant shows that Europe recognises the importance of slowing ovarian ageing and the potential health benefits it could bring women.