Abstract

Premature ovarian failure (POF) refers to ovarian dysfunction in women under 40 years old. It is characterized by low estrogen, high gonadotropin, amenorrhea, and infertility, which seriously affect physical and mental health of women. The pathogenic factors of POF include iatrogenic factors, autoimmune factors, genetic factors, oxidative stress, infection, thyroid dysfunction, and adrenal diseases. Chemotherapy is a common cause of POF and is gaining increasing attention. With the development of modern medicine and advances in understanding cancer, women’s cancer survival rates have been significantly increased. Currently, the main treatment options for POF are hormone supplement and in vitro activation (IVA), but there is still no specific treatment for POF. Stem cells, known as undifferentiated cells of multicellular organisms, exhibit characteristics of self-renewal, directional differentiation into different cells, and low immunogenicity. Thus, they have potential in regenerative medicine and provide a promising direction for POF treatment. In this review, we summarize the latest research progress of various stem cells in chemotherapy-induced POF models to provide a theoretical basis for further research and treatment.

Keywords: Premature ovarian failure, chemotherapy, ovarian cancer, granulosa cell, stem cell, mesenchymal stem cells.