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NMN supplementation as a strategy to improve oocyte quality: a systematic review and transcriptomic analysis

Hyunseo Noh, Sioban Sen Gupta, Srividya Seshadri, Xavier Viñals Gonzalez
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 2026 43(1):51-65

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 41160202
PubMed Central
PMC12831783
DOI
10.1007/s10815-025-03720-1
Competing interests
The authors declared no competing interests.

Study snapshot

DesignSystematic review of preclinical NMN supplementation studies plus single-oocyte human transcriptomic analysis.
ModelSeven preclinical original studies and 46 human oocytes across germinal-vesicle, metaphase-I and metaphase-II stages.
SampleSeven preclinical studies; transcriptomic component analyzed 46 human oocytes.
InterventionNMN supplementation in preclinical reproductive models; human oocyte component was transcriptomic, not NMN supplementation.
DurationVaried across preclinical studies; human transcriptomic component cross-sectional by oocyte maturation stage.
EndpointsOocyte quality; Mitochondrial pathways; Oxidative stress pathways; Apoptosis/inflammation; Human oocyte gene expression; SIRT3; DNM1L; SOD1

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 review is one of the strongest current summaries of NMN and female fertility. It found encouraging oocyte and mitochondrial effects across animal/preclinical models and added transcriptomic data from 46 human oocytes.

The human oocyte data showed that mitochondrial and oxidative-stress pathways change across maturation in ways biologically consistent with NMN research.

The crucial limitation is that the women did not take NMN. The paper explicitly concludes that standardized human clinical trials are still needed before NMN can be recommended to improve egg quality or fertility.

Key findings

  • Seven high-quality preclinical NMN studies were included after systematic screening.
  • Human single-oocyte RNA sequencing analyzed 46 oocytes and identified 900 differentially expressed genes between germinal-vesicle and metaphase-II stages.
  • Preclinical NMN studies generally supported mitochondrial, oxidative-stress and apoptotic/inflammatory mechanisms relevant to oocyte quality.
  • No human NMN supplementation trial demonstrated improved AMH, ovarian reserve, IVF success, pregnancy or live birth.
  • The authors called for standardized human clinical trials before translational conclusions.

What this study can and cannot tell us

The review's intervention evidence is preclinical; the human component measures gene expression during oocyte maturation rather than response to NMN supplementation.

Animal improvements in oocyte quality cannot establish that oral NMN improves fertility outcomes in women.

Clinically important outcomes such as ovarian reserve, euploid embryo rate, implantation, pregnancy and live birth remain untested in randomized human NMN trials.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology