Ovaries remain active decades after menopause, study reveals
A study from Northwestern University and the Buck Institute reveals that ovaries remain biologically active and continue to remodel long after menopause. These findings suggest the organ may play a broader role in aging and chronic disease than previously understood.
Why it matters
This research challenges long-held medical assumptions about postmenopausal health and could lead to new treatments for age-related conditions.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources Pathways and proteins distinguishing postmenopausal ovaries in the over 50s versus ≥70. Credit: bioRxiv DOI: 10.64898/2026.03.26.714635 Contrary to popular belief, the postmenopausal ovary is not defunct. In a new study of ovaries from 28 women, scientists at Northwestern University and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that in the decades well past menopause, the ovary remains biologically active and continues to remodel with age, showing increased inflammation and changes in tissue structure. The study also found a molecular link between ovarian aging and cancer.
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