PCOS is a leading cause of infertility and affects millions of women worldwide. It disrupts normal egg development, causing hormonal imbalances and cyst formation in the ovaries. Current treatments mainly control symptoms but do not repair the ovary itself. We investigate PNX-14, a natural peptide present in the brain and ovary that supports early egg growth. We tested this peptide found in the brain and ovary that supports early egg growth, in a well-established rat model of PCOS. After three days of treatment, it improved ovarian structure and restored regular reproductive cycling. Importantly, it significantly reduced degenerating follicles, helping to preserve healthy early-stage follicles. These benefits occurred even though major blood hormone levels were largely unchanged, suggesting that this peptide acts locally within the ovary. This is the first in vivo evidence that it can directly counter key cellular and structural damage caused by PCOS. The findings highlight PNX-14 as a potential new therapy to protect ovarian health and improve fertility in people with PCOS.
Berber et al. (Thu,) studied this question.