An end to menopause? It might happen soon – how fertility expert’s tissue preservation procedure for cancer patients could prevent or stall the change in healthy women

It is a normal part of ageing, but menopause brings a host of physical and mental challenges; transplanting preserved ovarian tissue could halt the transition

The procedure has helped women needing cancer treatment preserve their fertility, and the doctor behind it is researching its potential use in healthy women

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For some women, both depression and anxiety are common during menopause and post menopause, along with hot flushes and night sweats. Removing ovarian tissue, freezing it and implanting it again later could delay or prevent menopause, a leading fertility researcher says. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 7 Mar 2024Updated: 5:25am, 7 Mar 2024

Menopause is considered a normal part of ageing, but that does not mean the end of the menstrual cycle comes without a great deal of mental turmoil.

For some women, both depression and anxiety are common during menopause and post menopause, along with hot flushes and night sweats. A prior history of major depression elevates the risk of menopause-associated depression.

But imagine if women never had to experience menopause – and the physical and mental challenges that accompany this biological transition – in the first place?

Dr Kutluk Oktay, a leading expert in fertility preservation at Yale School of Medicine in the United States, sees a future in which this is possible. He has dedicated decades of his life to helping delay, reverse and even prevent menopause in healthy women.

Menopause can have multiple physical and mental symptoms. Illustration: Shutterstock

Specifically, his research revolves around ovarian tissue cryopreservation – extracting ovarian tissue, including the portion which produces eggs, and freezing it at temperatures as low as minus 160 degrees Celsius (minus 256 degrees Fahrenheit). Years later, it can be transplanted to make pregnancy possible.

In 1999, Oktay performed the world’s first successful ovarian transplant. Today, he envisions a future where freezing ovarian tissue for later implantation could significantly delay or even eliminate menopause.