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. 2026 Feb 14;29(4):115027.
doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115027. eCollection 2026 Apr 17.

Protective effect of Zymosan-A against radiation-induced premature ovarian insufficiency in a murine model

Yike Yu  1   2 , Jicong Du  2 , Bendong Li  1 , Ying Cheng  2 , Fan Lin  1 , Jiawei Zhou  1 , Yihang Song  3 , Cong Liu  2 , Shengyun Cai  1
Affiliations

Protective effect of Zymosan-A against radiation-induced premature ovarian insufficiency in a murine model

Yike Yu et al. iScience. .

Abstract

Pelvic radiotherapy, a key treatment for pelvic malignancies, frequently causes iatrogenic premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in young female patients, highlighting the urgent need for targeted, effective, and low-toxic radioprotectants. Zymosan-A, a TLR2/6 agonist, has potential radioprotective effects. We established a 60Co γ-radiation-induced murine POI model and evaluated Zymosan-A's efficacy. Results showed Zymosan-A mitigated granulosa cell apoptosis, improved ovarian hormone levels and estrous cycle regularity, increased embryo number, and enhanced offspring weight. Its radioprotective effect against ovarian injury, mediated via the TLRs-NF-κB pathway, was abolished in TLR2-knockout mice. Thus, Zymosan-A effectively protects against radiotherapy-induced POI primarily through the TLR2-NF-κB pathway.

Keywords: biological sciences; female reproductive endocrinology; health sciences; therapeutics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.