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A gene mutation can increase a woman\u2019s risk of miscarriage<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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The mutation causes women to produce abnormal eggs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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This knowledge could lead to a genetic test of female fertility<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A gene that causes accelerated reproductive aging is directly tied to the risk of miscarriage in younger women, a new study<\/a> says.<\/p>\n
A mutation of the gene KIF18A speeds up the aging process of eggs in younger women, diminishing their fertility, researchers report.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowledge of the precise genetic landscape that causes egg abnormalities in women has long been limited,\u201d researcher Karen Schindler<\/a>, a professor of genetics with Rutgers University, said in a news release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis work represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the underlying genetics and provides the deepest validation yet of a candidate variant for causation,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Successful reproduction is highly dependent on women creating eggs of good quality, researchers said in background notes.<\/p>\n
Miscarriages often occur due to eggs that contain an abnormal number of chromosomes, and the risk increases with age, researchers said.<\/p>\n
For the study, researchers analyzed data from an in vitro fertilization clinic, looking for patterns in maternal DNA sequences that might be linked to poor fertility.<\/p>\n
The team found a genetic variant that causes women to produce a higher number of abnormal eggs, results show.<\/p>\n
Lab mice engineered to carry the variant produced more abnormal eggs than other mice, at an earlier-than-normal age, researchers said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom this, we can say that this is more than a correlation; it\u2019s a causal relationship,\u201d lead researcher Leelabati Biswas<\/a>, a student in Rutgers University\u2019s joint MD-PhD program, said in a news release. \u201cThe results gave us a powerful validation of our computational data.\u201d<\/p>\n
The researchers plan to look for more genetic variants that can contribute to abnormal eggs and female infertility.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a first step,\u201d Biswas said. \u201cWe\u2019re heading in a direction where we may be able to give women more opportunities for precision medicine, to better inform them, using targeted genetic information for reproductive treatments.”<\/p>\n
Ultimately, women who want kids could one day undergo a genetic test that reveals their risk of miscarriage. Women at high risk could opt to have kids earlier or freeze her own eggs while she\u2019s young, researchers said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you know your genetic risk, you will know your outcomes are going to be better if you start at age 28, rather than 32,\u201d Schindler said. \u201cThat could make a huge difference in your success.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n
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