{"paper_id":"b972ac2f-5a04-4759-b013-c57657c66393","body_text":"Abstract\nThe cyclical arrival of endometrial cells into the abdominal cavity through retrograde flux at menstruation represents the etio-pathogenetic basis of endometriosis. The endometrium has peculiar regenerative properties linked to the presence of adult stem cells similar to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Once in the abdominal cavity, these MSCs could proliferate, invade, and differentiate into endometrial cells, finally generating ectopic implants. As only differentiated endometrial cells, and not endometrial MSCs, possess steroid hormone receptors, MSCs could be responsible for the high rate of persistence/recurrence of the disease after hypoestrogenism-inducing therapies. Even angiogenesis promoted by MSCs could play an important role, as survival and proliferation of endometriotic tissue depend on the formation of new blood vessels. 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Identification and qualification of dopamine receptor 2 in human eutopic and ectopic endometrium: a novel molecular target for endometriosis therapy. Biol Reprod. 2010;83(5):866–873.\nAuthor information\nAuthors and Affiliations\nCorresponding author\nRights and permissions\nAbout this article\nCite this article\nPittatore, G., BiolSci, A., Benedetto, C. et al. Endometrial Adult/Progenitor Stem Cells: Pathogenetic Theory and New Antiangiogenic Approach for Endometriosis Therapy. Reprod. Sci. 21, 296–304 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719113503405\nPublished:\nIssue date:\nDOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719113503405","source_license":"CC0","license_restricted":false}