The Role of Noncoding RNA in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is defined as a loss of ovarian function before the age of 40 years, with a prevalence rate estimated at approximately 1%. It causes infertility and is related to serious long-term health consequences, including reduced life expectancy, increased cardiovascular risk, decreased bone mineral density and neurological disorders. There is currently no effective therapy for POI that is widely available in clinical practice; therefore, the treatment of patients with POI is based on hormone replacement therapy. One of the recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of POI has been the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) and other noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the disease. Moreover, intensive research on human folliculogenesis and reproductive biology has led to the development of novel promising therapeutic strategies with the use of exosomal miRNAs derived from mesenchymal stem cells to restore ovarian function in POI patients. This narrative review focuses on the new studies concerning the role of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of POI, together with their potential as biomarkers of the disease and targets for therapy.