Thomas E Spencer

Endometriosis, characterized by the growth of uterine-like tissue outside the uterus, causes chronic pain and infertility. Current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have notable limitations, including delayed diagnosis and adverse effec…

Embryo implantation is a critical event in the establishment of pregnancy, and implantation failure is a major cause of pregnancy loss in women. Coordinated, cell-type specific responses to the ovarian steroid hormones, estrogen, and proges…

In brief: Polarity-reversed endometrial epithelial organoids exhibit histological and physiological characteristics resembling uterine epithelium in vivo, respond to hormones, and undergo secretory cell transformation. The ability to modify…

Abstract The uterine epithelium is composed of a single layer of hormone responsive polarized epithelial cells that line the lumen and form tubular glands. Endometrial epithelial organoids (EEO) can be generated from uterine epithelia and r…

The uterus is vital for successful reproduction in mammals, and two different types of epithelia (luminal and glandular) are essential for embryo implantation and pregnancy establishment. However, the essential cellular and molecular factor…

Endometrial health is affected by molecular processes that underlie estrogen responses. We assessed estrogen regulation of endometrial function by integrating the estrogen receptor α (ESR1) cistromes and transcriptomes of endometrial biopsi…

Suboptimal uterine fluid (UF) composition can lead to pregnancy loss and likely contributes to offspring susceptibility to chronic adult-onset disorders. However, our understanding of the biochemical composition and mechanisms underpinning …

ContextPoor uterine receptivity is one major factor leading to pregnancy loss and infertility. Understanding the molecular events governing successful implantation is hence critical in combating infertility.ObjectiveTo define Progesterone R…

The human endometrium is essential in providing the site for implantation and maintaining the growth and survival of the conceptus. An unreceptive endometrium and disrupted maternal-conceptus interactions can cause infertility due to pregna…

All mammalian uteri contain glands in the endometrium that develop only or primarily after birth. Gland development or adenogenesis in the postnatal uterus is intrinsically regulated by proliferation, cell-cell interactions, growth factors …

Uterine glands and their secretions are indispensable for endometrial function and fertility; however, the mechanisms regulating their development and function are not well understood. Forkhead transcription factor box A2 (FOXA2) is uniquel…

The ovarian steroid progesterone, acting through the progesterone receptor (PR), coordinates endometrial epithelial-stromal cell communication, which is critical for its development and function. PR expression in these cellular compartments…

Uterine receptivity to implantation varies among species, and involves changes in expression of genes that are coordinate with attachment of trophectoderm to uterine lumenal and superficial glandular epithelia, modification of phenotype of …