LAY TITLE: Understanding the malfunction of brain mechanisms that lead to PCOS and infertility

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects ten per cent of women and is the most common disorder of the endocrine system (which controls hormone release in women) before the menopause. Women with PCOS have abnormal ovaries that often contain large fluid-filled cysts and they are frequently infertile or have problems becoming pregnant.

This infertile condition is complicated by the fact that PCOS women are often obese. Those with PCOS also have an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers of the reproductive system. One symptom of PCOS is the high levels of the male hormone testosterone that sufferers have in their blood, and this can cause acne as well as an embarrassing increase in hair growth on the face and body.

Because we do not understand the underlying reasons for abnormal hormone release in PCOS, it is difficult to develop appropriate methods to prevent or alleviate the condition. The aim of these studies is to understand how the reproductive system malfunctions in PCOS women, and how this inappropriate hormone release causes abnormalities in the ovary that, ultimately, lead to infertility. The key to this is an understanding of how the brain controls hormone release.

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