Serdar E. Bulun

OBJECTIVE: To define altered gene expression networks in endometriosis. DESIGN: Experiments using endometriotic tissues and primary cells. SETTING: Division of Reproductive Biology Research, Northwestern University. PATIENT(S): Premenopa…

OBJECTIVE: To review the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for the treatment of endometriosis. DESIGN: Literature review. CONCLUSION(S): Most studies show that in reproductive-age women, the combination of AI with conventional therapy all…

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of inhibiting aromatase activity on endometrial lesion growth and aromatase expression in a baboon model of induced endometriosis. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Primate research institute. ANIMAL(…

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. The biologically active estrogen, estradiol, aggravates the pathological processes (e.g., inflammation and growth) and the symptoms (e.g., pain) associated with endometriosis. Abundant quantit…

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological disease that affects 6–10% of women of reproductive age. It is a major cause of chronic pelvic pain and infertility, and poses a heavy financial burden on society, with annual estimates t…

BACKGROUND: Progesterone, via its nuclear receptor (PR), exerts an overall tumorigenic effect on both uterine fibroid (leiomyoma) and breast cancer tissues, whereas the antiprogestin RU486 inhibits growth of these tissues through an unknown…

Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease causing infertility, adhesions and chronic pain in approximately 10% of reproductively-aged women due to the extrauterine growth of endometrial stromal and glandular cells. Endometriotic lesio…

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. The biologically active estrogen, estradiol, aggravates the pathological processes (e.g., inflammation and growth) and the symptoms (e.g., pain) associated with endometriosis. Abundant quantit…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of an aromatase inhibitor for the treatment of endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Academic medical center outpatient reproductive endocrinology clinic. PATIE…

In humans, aromatase (CYP19) gene expression is regulated via alternative promoters. Activation of each promoter gives rise to a CYP19 mRNA species with a unique 5'-untranslated region. Inhibition of aromatase has been reported to downregul…

BACKGROUND: Retinoic acid (RA) regulates key biological processes, including differentiation, apoptosis and cell survival. RA mediates induction of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 mRNA, catalyzing the conversion of estradiol to …

UNLABELLED: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), a transcription factor, is essential for the activation of multiple steroidogenic genes for estrogen biosynthesis in endometriosis-derived stromal ce…

Approximately half of women with endometriosis achieve pain relief from existing medical or surgical treatments. Medical treatments are usually directed at inhibiting estrogen action or its production from the ovaries and do not address loc…

Estradiol (E2) stimulates the growth and inflammation in the ectopic endometriotic tissue that commonly resides on the pelvic organs. Several clinical and laboratory-based observations are indicative of resistance to progesterone action in …

CONTEXT: Retinoic acid (RA) controls multiple biological processes via exerting opposing effects on cell survival. Retinol uptake into cells is controlled by stimulated by RA 6 (STRA6). RA is then produced from retinol in the cytosol. Parti…

Loss of progesterone signaling in the endometrium may be a causal factor in the development of endometriosis, and progesterone resistance is commonly observed in women with this disease. In endometriotic stromal cells, the levels of progest…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of selective P receptor (PR) modulator CDB4124 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in cultured human uterine leiomyoma smooth muscle (LSM) cells and control myometrial smooth muscle (MSM) cells in matched …

In response to the pressing need for more efficacious and safer therapeutics for endometriosis, there have been numerous reports in the last decade of positive results from animal and in vitro studies of various compounds as potential thera…