Follicle-Stimulating Hormone: Fertility and Beyond

Editorial on the Research Topic.

Propagating life to the next generation is a hormone-dependent process relying on the individualwish to generate own progeny and resulting in maintenance of species. This Research Topicis dedicated to Follicle–Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and itsreceptor (FSHR) and their rolein reproduction. FSH is a typical example of a drug which entered clinical use in the “pre-evidence-basedmedicine era,” just for its efficacy in stimulating gonadal function and fertility in hypogonadotropichypogonadism. More recently, FSH entered clinical use in controlled ovarian stimulation in orderto obtain multiple follicular growth for assisted reproduction. Given the progressive increase incouple infertility, the demand for assisted reproduction grows steadily and the FSH market isflourishing. Yet, very little was known about the FSH mode of action until a few years ago,and the therapeutic use of FSH is still far from being evidence-based. But great progress in ourunderstanding of FSH action was made in the last two decades and, since not many scientistsaround the world are active in the gonadotropin/FSH research “niche,” we thought it was time tocall them to report to tell us their view on the state-of-the-art. The result is this “Research Topic.”