As women age, egg quality declines leading to an increased risk of miscarriage, largely due to chromosomal errors. By age 40, the rate of aneuploidy (chromosomal errors) is as high as 60 per cent.

 

Production of a developmentally competent egg requires resumption and successful completion of two successive meiotic divisions. Major defects in egg development are believed to be caused by mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS); the by-product of mitochondrial energy production. Both factors can disrupt meiotic spindle formation and the process of cell division, leading to chromosomal errors.

 

MitoQ is a mitochondria-targeted version of CoQ10, specifically designed to accumulate within mitochondria. It has a unique structure that allows it to pass more easily into the mitochondria, where it can more effectively scavenge ROS generated by mitochondrial energy production. Due to its targeting mechanism, MitoQ is considered more effective than CoQ10 in protecting mitochondria from oxidative damage.

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Al-Zubaidi, U., Adhikari, D., Cinar, O., Zhang, Q.-H., Yuen, W. S., Murphy, M. P., Rombauts, L., Robker, R. L., & Carroll, J. (2020). Mitochondria-targeted therapeutics, MitoQ and BGP-15, reverse aging-associated meiotic spindle defects in mouse and human oocytes. Human Reproduction, 35(1), 72–84. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deaa300

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