Ovaries May Continue Playing an Important Role After Menopause, Study Finds - Video

Do ovaries really become inactive after menopause, or do they continue changing in ways that could influence women's health and cancer risk? A new study suggests that postmenopausal ovaries remain biologically active for decades, undergoing molecular changes associated with inflammation, tissue remodeling and processes linked to ovarian cancer.

Published in Aging Cell, the study was conducted by scientists at Northwestern University and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. The findings challenge the longstanding belief that ovaries become functionally inactive once reproductive life ends.

Researchers examined ovarian tissue from 28 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 75 years. Using advanced proteomics and mass spectrometry techniques, they analysed 5,812 protein groups to identify molecular changes occurring during normal ovarian aging.

The analysis revealed that ovaries continued to undergo substantial biological changes long after menopause. Ovaries from younger postmenopausal women contained higher levels of proteins involved in maintaining cellular function and tissue structure. In contrast, ovaries from older women showed increased proteins associated with inflammation, immune responses and tissue remodeling.

These differences were particularly noticeable when comparing women in their 50s with those aged 70 years and above. The researchers also identified molecular patterns associated with cellular senescence, a biological process in which aging cells stop dividing but remain active and influence surrounding tissues.

Importantly, although all ovarian samples appeared normal and cancer-free, some proteins previously associated with ovarian cancer were more abundant in aging ovaries. This suggests that normal ovarian aging and ovarian cancer may share certain molecular pathways.

However, researchers emphasised that these findings do not indicate that aging ovaries are cancerous or that healthy ovaries should routinely be removed after menopause.

The study highlights the need for further research to determine whether age-related ovarian changes contribute to cancer development or represent normal biological aging.

REFERENCE: Francesca Duncan, et al.; The Human Ovary Exhibits Dynamic Molecular Remodeling in the Decades Post-­ Menopause; Aging Cell; https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2026/10/the-ovary-doesnt-retire-after-menopause?fj=1