{"paper_id":"b8c2e8de-e81e-44ab-88c8-6bb492ab2f1b","body_text":"Title:Regenerating the Womb: The Good, Bad and Ugly Potential of the Endometrial Stem Cells\nVolume: 7\nIssue: 1\nAuthor(s): Flaminia Bardanzellu*, Gavino Faa, Daniela Fanni, Vassilios Fanos and Maria Antonietta Marcialis\nAffiliation:\n- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Pathology and Neonatal Section, AOU and University of Cagliari, Cagliari,Italy\nKeywords:\nEndometrial cancer, endometrial stem cells, endometriosis, endometrium, leiomyomas, menstrual blood-derived\nstem cells, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering.\nAbstract: The human endometrium is a very dynamic tissue undergoing an extraordinary growth during\npregnancy and, in a cyclic manner, during the reproductive life of each woman. Endometrial stem\ncells (ESCs), undifferentiated auto-renewable cells able to generate daughter cells showing a higher\nlevel of differentiation, play a fundamental role in endometrial regeneration and repair. Therefore,\nthey have a great therapeutic potential in many diseases and research fields.\nHowever, recent data suggest that an irregular function of ESCs can contribute to the pathogenesis of\nendometriosis and other disorders. In addition, ESCs have also been found in human leiomyomas and\nmalignant tumours, and could be involved in their development.\nIn this review we analyze the enormous regenerative potential of endometrium, which is, unfortunately,\nnot exempted from its negative effects. This coexists with the good one as two faces of the same\ncoin and constitutes the risk behind the fundamental protective and regenerative mechanisms to defend\nreproduction, and therefore the miracle of life itself.","source_license":"CC0","license_restricted":false}