Genetically modified mouse models for premature ovarian failure (POF)

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a complex disorder that affects approximately 1% of women. POF is characterized by the depletion of functional ovarian follicles before the age of 40 years, and clinically, patients may present with primary amenorrhea or secondary amenorrhea. Although some genes have been hypothesized to be candidates responsible for POF, the etiology of most of the cases is idiopathic, with the underlying causes still unidentified because of the heterogeneity of the disease. In this review, we consider some mutant mouse models that exhibit phenotypes which are comparable to human POF. and we suggest that the use of these mouse models may help us to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying POF in humans. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.