A team of UK scientists have found a new hormone, kisspeptin, which may restore sex hormone levels in women whose reproductive systems have 'shut down'. The hormone is involved in stimulating the hormones that drive the menstrual cycle. Humans and other mammals that lack kisspeptin do not go through puberty and do not become reproductively active.
A previous study by the same team - from University College, London - showed that treatment with kisspeptin leads to the production of sex hormones in fertile women. They have now extended the study to look at women whose periods have stopped because of hormone imbalance.
In the latest study, a group of 10 women who were not menstruating and were infertile were injected with either kisspeptin or a saline solution. Blood samples were then taken to measure their levels of two key hormones essential for ovulation and fertility - luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).
Compared to the placebo treatment, kisspeptin led to a 48-fold increase in LH and 16-fold increase in FSH.
Lead researcher Waljit Dhillo said kisspeptin treatment stimulated a greater increase in LH production in non-menstruating women than in fertile women in the previous study.
Future research will focus on the best way of providing kisspeptin to restore fertility.
