A discovery about how cells die could lead to ways to protect fertility in women having cancer treatment, researchers suggest.

Australian scientists found two specific proteins caused the death of early egg cells in the ovaries.

Blocking them meant cells survived the effects of radiotherapy, according to the study published in the journal Molecular Cell.

The researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Monash University and Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research looked at egg cells called primordial follicle oocytes, which provide each woman’s lifetime supply of eggs.

A discovery about how cells die could lead to ways to protect fertility in women having cancer treatment

They found that, when the DNA of cells is damaged through chemotherapy or radiotherapy, two proteins called Puma and Noxa cause the eggs to die.

This causes many female cancer patients to become infertile.

Low numbers of egg cells can also lead to a woman going through an early menopause.

When these cells were manipulated so they did not have the Puma protein, they did not die after being exposed to radiation therapy.

Prof. Jeff Kerr, from Monash University, who worked on the study said: “This might ordinarily be cause for concern because you want damaged egg cells to die so as not to produce abnormal offspring.”

But he added: “To our great surprise we found that not only did the cells survive being irradiated, they were able to repair the DNA damage they had sustained and could be ovulated and fertilized, producing healthy offspring.

“When the cells were also missing the Noxa protein, there was even better protection against radiation.”

Prof. Clare Scott, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, who also worked on the lab and animal research, added: “It means that in the future, medications that block the function of Puma could be used to stop the death of egg cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

“Our results suggest that this could maintain the fertility of these patients.”

The researchers said that the discovery could also mean it would be possible to slow the loss of egg cells from the ovaries, thereby delaying early menopause.