# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility research in the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 highlights a major research shift toward female reproductive aging and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Studies increasingly focus on oxidative stress and the ovarian microenvironment, leveraging single-cell transcriptomics to map cellular changes. This reflects a concerted effort to understand and therapeutically target the molecular drivers of age-related fertility decline.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Reproductive Biology and Fertility |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 7,510 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Female reproductive aging, Polycystic ovary syndrome, oxidative stress, Granulosa cells |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 31–89 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved July 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | A single-cell atlas of the aging mouse ovary | José V V Isola, Sarah R Ocañas, Chase R Hubbart, Sunghwan Ko, Samim Ali Mondal, Jessica D Hense, Hannah N C Carter, Augusto Schneider, Susan Kovats, José Alberola-Ila, Willard M Freeman, Michael B Stout | Michael B. Stout | Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, United States | Nature Aging | 89 | 10.1038/s43587-023-00552-5 |
| 2 | Spatiotemporal transcriptomic changes of human ovarian aging and the regulatory role of FOXP1 | Meng Wu, Weicheng Tang, Ying Chen, Liru Xue, Jun Dai, Yan Li, Xiaoran Zhu, Chuqing Wu, Jiaqiang Xiong, Jinjin Zhang, Tong Wu, Su Zhou, Dan Chen, Chaoyang Sun, Jing Yu, Hongyi Li, Yican Guo, Yibao Huang, Qingqing Zhu, Simin Wei, Ziliang Zhou, Mingfu Wu, Ya Li, Tao Xiang, Huiying Qiao, Shixuan Wang | Jun Dai, Yan Li, Tao Xiang, Shixuan Wang | Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China | Nature Aging | 67 | 10.1038/s43587-024-00607-1 |
| 3 | Deep learning versus manual morphology-based embryo selection in IVF: a randomized, double-blind noninferiority trial | Peter J Illingworth, Christos Venetis, David K Gardner, Scott M Nelson, Jørgen Berntsen, Mark G Larman, Franca Agresta, Saran Ahitan, Aisling Ahlström, Fleur Cattrall, Simon Cooke, Kristy Demmers, Anette Gabrielsen, Johnny Hindkjær, Rebecca L Kelley, Charlotte Knight, Lisa Lee, Robert Lahoud, Manveen Mangat, Hannah Park, Anthony Price, Geoffrey Trew, Bettina Troest, Anna Vincent, Susanne Wennerström, Lyndsey Zujovic, Thorir Hardarson | Peter Illingworth | Virtus Health, Australia | Nature Medicine | 67 | 10.1038/s41591-024-03166-5 |
| 4 | Molecular and genetic insights into human ovarian aging from single-nuclei multi-omics analyses | Chen Jin, Xizhe Wang, Jiping Yang, Seungsoo Kim, Adam D Hudgins, Amir Gamliel, Mingzhuo Pei, Daniela Contreras, Melody Devos, Qinghua Guo, Jan Vijg, Marco Conti, Jan Hoeijmakers, Judith Campisi, Rogerio Lobo, Zev Williams, Michael G Rosenfeld, Yousin Suh | Chen Jin, Yousin Suh | Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States | Nature Aging | 65 | 10.1038/s43587-024-00762-5 |
| 5 | A conserved fertilization complex bridges sperm and egg in vertebrates | Victoria E Deneke, Andreas Blaha, Yonggang Lu, Johannes P Suwita, Jonne M Draper, Clara S Phan, Karin Panser, Alexander Schleiffer, Laurine Jacob, Theresa Humer, Karel Stejskal, Gabriela Krssakova, Elisabeth Roitinger, Dominik Handler, Maki Kamoshita, Tyler D R Vance, Xinyin Wang, Joachim M Surm, Yehu Moran, Jeffrey E Lee, Masahito Ikawa, Andrea Pauli | Victoria E. Deneke, Andrea Pauli | Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Austria | Cell | 55 | 10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.035 |
| 6 | Rejuvenation of aged oocyte through exposure to young follicular microenvironment | HaiYang Wang, Zhongwei Huang, Xingyu Shen, Yaelim Lee, XinJie Song, Chang Shu, Lik Hang Wu, Leroy Sivappiragasam Pakkiri, Poh Leong Lim, Xi Zhang, Chester Lee Drum, Jin Zhu, Rong Li | Haiyang Wang, Rong Li | National University of Singapore, Singapore | Nature Aging | 53 | 10.1038/s43587-024-00697-x |
| 7 | The cycling and aging mouse female reproductive tract at single-cell resolution | Ivana Winkler, Alexander Tolkachov, Fritjof Lammers, Perrine Lacour, Klaudija Daugelaite, Nina Schneider, Marie-Luise Koch, Jasper Panten, Florian Grünschläger, Tanja Poth, Bianca Machado de Ávila, Augusto Schneider, Simon Haas, Duncan T Odom, Ângela Gonçalves | Duncan T. Odom, Ângela Gonçalves | German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Germany | Cell | 51 | 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.021 |
| 8 | Hallmarks of female reproductive aging in physiologic aging mice | Julia L Balough, Shweta S Dipali, Karen Velez, T Rajendra Kumar, Francesca E Duncan | Francesca E. Duncan | Buck Institute for Research on Aging, United States | Nature Aging | 51 | 10.1038/s43587-024-00769-y |
| 9 | The microbial metabolite agmatine acts as an FXR agonist to promote polycystic ovary syndrome in female mice | Chuyu Yun, Sen Yan, Baoying Liao, Yong Ding, Xinyu Qi, Min Zhao, Kai Wang, Yingying Zhuo, Qixing Nie, Chuan Ye, Pengyan Xia, Ming Ma, Rong Li, Changtao Jiang, Jie Qiao, Yanli Pang | Rong Li, Changtao Jiang, Jie Qiao, Yanli Pang | Peking University Third Hospital, China | Nature Metabolism | 45 | 10.1038/s42255-024-01041-8 |
| 10 | Does recurrent implantation failure exist? Prevalence and outcomes of five consecutive euploid blastocyst transfers in 123 987 patients | Pavan Gill, Baris Ata, Ana Arnanz, Danilo Cimadomo, Alberto Vaiarelli, Human M Fatemi, Filippo Maria Ubaldi, Juan A Garcia-Velasco, Emre Seli | Emre Seli | IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, United States | Human Reproduction | 43 | 10.1093/humrep/deae040 |
| 11 | 3D reconstruction of a gastrulating human embryo | Zhenyu Xiao, Lina Cui, Yang Yuan, Nannan He, Xinwei Xie, Sirui Lin, Xiaolong Yang, Xin Zhang, Peifu Shi, Zhifeng Wei, Yang Li, Hongmei Wang, Xiaoyan Wang, Yulei Wei, Jingtao Guo, Leqian Yu | Xiaoyan Wang, Yulei Wei, Jingtao Guo, Leqian Yu | State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, China | Cell | 40 | 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.041 |
| 12 | Cellular atlas of the human ovary using morphologically guided spatial transcriptomics and single-cell sequencing | Andrea S K Jones, D Ford Hannum, Jordan H Machlin, Ansen Tan, Qianyi Ma, Nicole D Ulrich, Yu-Chi Shen, Maria Ciarelli, Vasantha Padmanabhan, Erica E Marsh, Sue Hammoud, Jun Z Li, Ariella Shikanov | Andrea Jones, D. Ford Hannum, Jun Z. Li, Ariella Shikanov | University of Michigan, United States | Science Advances | 40 | 10.1126/sciadv.adm7506 |
| 13 | The first two blastomeres contribute unequally to the human embryo | Sergi Junyent, Maciej Meglicki, Roman Vetter, Rachel Mandelbaum, Catherine King, Ekta M Patel, Lisa Iwamoto-Stohl, Clare Reynell, Dong-Yuan Chen, Patrizia Rubino, Nabil Arrach, Richard J Paulson, Dagmar Iber, Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz | Magdalena Zernicka‐Goetz | California Institute of Technology, United States | Cell | 40 | 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.029 |
| 14 | Iron accumulation in ovarian microenvironment damages the local redox balance and oocyte quality in aging mice | Ye Chen, Jiaqi Zhang, Ying Tian, Xiangning Xu, Bicheng Wang, Ziqi Huang, Shuo Lou, Jingyi Kang, Ningning Zhang, Jing Weng, Yuanjing Liang, Wei Ma | Wei Ma | Capital Medical University, China | Redox Biology | 34 | 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103195 |
| 15 | Mapping putative enhancers in mouse oocytes and early embryos reveals TCF3/12 as key folliculogenesis regulators | Bofeng Liu, Yuanlin He, Xiaotong Wu, Zili Lin, Jing Ma, Yuexin Qiu, Yunlong Xiang, Feng Kong, Fangnong Lai, Mrinmoy Pal, Peizhe Wang, Jia Ming, Bingjie Zhang, Qiujun Wang, Jingyi Wu, Weikun Xia, Weimin Shen, Jie Na, Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla, Jing Li, Wei Xie | Jing Li, Wei Xie | Tsinghua University, China | Nature Cell Biology | 33 | 10.1038/s41556-024-01422-x |
| 16 | Maintaining mitochondrial DNA copy number mitigates ROS-induced oocyte decline and female reproductive aging | Shiyun Long, Yunchao Zheng, Xiaoling Deng, Jing Guo, Zhe Xu, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek, Yanmei Dou, Min Jiang | Yanmei Dou, Min Jiang | Zhejiang University, China | Communications Biology | 33 | 10.1038/s42003-024-06888-x |
| 17 | M6A demethylase FTO-stabilized exosomal circBRCA1 alleviates oxidative stress-induced granulosa cell damage via the miR-642a-5p/FOXO1 axis | Xiaolan Zhu, Wenxin Li, Minjun Lu, Junyu Shang, Jiamin Zhou, Li Lin, Yueqin Liu, Jie Xing, Mengxue Zhang, Shijie Zhao, Jingjing Lu, Xuyan Shi | Xiaolan Zhu | The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, China | Journal of Nanobiotechnology | 33 | 10.1186/s12951-024-02583-5 |
| 18 | Semaglutide Alleviates Ovary Inflammation via the AMPK/SIRT1/NF‑κB Signaling Pathway in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Mice | Mei Liu, Sili Guo, Xiaohan Li, Yang Tian, Yanjie Yu, Lili Tang, Qimei Sun, Ting Zhang, Mingwei Fan, Lili Zhang, Yingjiang Xu, Jiajia An, Xiangqian Gao, Lei Han, Lei Zhang | Mei Liu, Sili Guo, Xiaohan Li | Binzhou Medical University Hospital, China | Drug Design Development and Therapy | 32 | 10.2147/dddt.s484531 |
| 19 | Mechanisms of minor pole–mediated spindle bipolarization in human oocytes | Tianyu Wu, Yuxi Luo, Meiling Zhang, Biaobang Chen, Xingzhu Du, Hao Gu, Siyuan Xie, Zhiqi Pan, Ran Yu, Ruiqi Hai, Xiangli Niu, Guimin Hao, Liping Jin, Juanzi Shi, Xiaoxi Sun, Yanping Kuang, Wen Li, Qing Sang, Lei Wang | Tianyu Wu, Yuxi Luo, Meiling Zhang, Biaobang Chen, Wen Li, Qing Sang, Lei Wang | Fudan University, China | Science | 32 | 10.1126/science.ado1022 |
| 20 | A 20-year overview of fertility preservation in boys: new insights gained through a comprehensive international survey | Kathleen Duffin, Nina Neuhaus, Claus Yding Andersen, Virginie Barraud-Lange, Aude Braye, Cristina Eguizabal, Aurélie Feraille, Jill P Ginsberg, Debra Gook, Ellen Goossens, Kirsi Jahnukainen, Yasmin Jayasinghe, Victoria Keros, Sabine Kliesch, Sheila Lane, Callista L Mulder, Kyle E Orwig, Ans M M van Pelt, Catherine Poirot, Michael P Rimmer, Nathalie Rives, Hooman Sadri-Ardekani, Myriam Safrai, Stefan Schlatt, Jan-Bernd Stukenborg, Marianne D van de Wetering, Christine Wyns, Rod T Mitchell | Rod T. Mitchell | University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Human Reproduction Open | 31 | 10.1093/hropen/hoae010 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 in Reproductive Biology and Fertility is heavily focused on addressing reproductive aging and prevalent endocrine disorders. "Female reproductive aging" and "Polycystic ovary syndrome" (PCOS) are the most dominant themes, indicating a major research emphasis on understanding age-related fertility decline and complex metabolic-reproductive conditions. A significant cluster of research investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these issues, highlighted by prominent concepts like "oxidative stress", "Reactive oxygen species", and the "Ovarian microenvironment". Studies frequently center on "Granulosa cells", which play a critical role in follicle development and are highly susceptible to stress and aging. Clinical interventions remain central to the field, with extensive focus on "In vitro fertilization", "Intracytoplasmic sperm injection", and "Ovarian stimulation" aimed at overcoming these biological hurdles. The widespread use of "Single-cell transcriptomics" underscores a methodological shift toward high-resolution profiling of reproductive tissues, enabling researchers to map the ovarian microenvironment and cellular states with unprecedented detail. Overall, the current landscape reflects a concerted effort to connect molecular dysfunction—such as oxidative damage and endocrine disruption—with practical strategies to improve fertility outcomes in the face of aging and conditions like PCOS.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

The transition from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a pronounced shift toward studying the molecular drivers of reproductive decline, with "Female reproductive aging" experiencing a striking threefold increase in prominence. This surge is accompanied by a heightened focus on the cellular mechanisms of aging and damage, evidenced by significant rises in "oxidative stress" (twofold increase) and "Reactive oxygen species". Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) also saw continued growth, solidifying its position as a central challenge in the field. Notably, advanced molecular mapping has rapidly gained traction, with the concept of the "Ovarian cell atlas" emerging prominently, alongside increased applications of single-cell transcriptomics to dissect the ovarian microenvironment. Conversely, some previously dominant topics have seen a relative decline; attention to "Premature ovarian insufficiency" and "Male infertility" decreased, suggesting a reallocation of research focus toward the ubiquitous challenge of age-related female fertility decline. Overall, these shifts highlight a field increasingly leveraging high-resolution molecular techniques and focusing on oxidative damage to understand and mitigate the effects of reproductive aging and endocrine disorders.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026. Accessed 2026-07-17.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
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