The implications of LncRNAs and premature ovarian insufficiency

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a complex disorder characterized by hypoestrogenism, elevated gonadotropins, and menstrual irregularity or amenorrhea. Effective treatments remain limited, but advances in reproductive biology have highlighted long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as pivotal regulators of granulosa cell function and follicular development. Growing evidence shows that lncRNAs contribute to POI pathogenesis and hold promise as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This review summarizes recent findings on the lncRNA-mediated regulation of granulosa cell proliferation, autophagy, apoptosis, hormone signalling, mitochondrial stress, glycolysis, and DNA damage and discusses current limitations—including small sample sizes, limited in vivo validation, and translational challenges—that hinder clinical application. Although lncRNAs represent an emerging frontier in POI research, their diagnostic and therapeutic value requires further validation before clinical integration.