Hippo signaling in the ovary and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Aberrant Hippo signaling in PCOS patients is likely a contributing mechanism to the multifactorial etiology of the disease. Given the challenge of discerning the underlying etiology of oligo-ovulation in some patients, especially those with normal body mass indices, and the need for customized stimulation protocols for PCOS patients who have an increased risk of over-response and higher percentage of immature oocyte yield, it is important to identify these patients prior to treatment. Hippo gene expression fingerprints could potentially be used to more accurately define patients with PCOS. Additionally, targeting this pathway with pharmacologic agents could lead to non-surgical therapeutic options for PCOS.