Serdar E. Bulun

This review emphasizes the participation of estrogen and inflammation in the development of endometriosis. A feedback cycle in which prostaglandins and aromatase activity are prominent allows for the persistence of endometriotic tissue. Kno…

Progesterone is a key hormone in the regulation of uterine function. In the normal physiological context, progesterone is primarily involved in remodeling of the endometrium and maintaining a quiescent myometrium. When pathologies of the ut…

ContextProducts of at least five specific steroidogenic genes, including steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), which facilitates the initial entry of cytosolic cholesterol into the mitochondrion, side-chain-cleavage enzyme (P450scc…

Estrogens and selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulators such as tamoxifen are known to increase uterine cell proliferation. Mounting evidence suggests that estrogen signaling is mediated not only by ERalpha and ERbeta nuclear receptors, b…

Estrogen has been positively linked to the pathogenesis and growth of three common women's cancers (breast, endometrium and ovary). A single gene encodes the key enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis named aromatase, inhibition of which effectiv…

CONTEXT: Control of aromatase expression in uterine leiomyoma has significant clinical implications because aromatase inhibitors reduce tumor growth and associated irregular uterine bleeding. The mechanisms that regulate aromatase expressio…

Endometriosis is a systemic disorder that is characterized by the presence of endometrium-like tissue in ectopic sites outside the uterus, primarily on pelvic peritoneum and ovaries.1 Endometriosis affects nearly 1 in 7 women of reproductiv…

CONTEXT: Estradiol and its nuclear receptors, estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and ERbeta, play critical roles in endometrium and endometriosis. Levels of ERbeta, due to pathological hypomethylation of its promoter, are significantly higher in …

CONTEXT: Products of at least five specific steroidogenic genes, including steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), which facilitates the entry of cytosolic cholesterol into the mitochondrion, side chain cleavage P450 enzyme, 3beta-hy…

Endometriosis is a common and chronic disease characterized by persistent pelvic pain and infertility. Estradiol is essential for growth and inflammation in endometriotic tissue. The complete cascade of steroidogenic proteins/enzymes includ…

Pathogenesis and growth of three common women's cancers (breast, endometrium and ovary) are linked to estrogen. A single gene encodes the key enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis named aromatase, inhibition of which effectively eliminates estro…

Steroid receptors in the stromal cells of endometrium and its disease counterpart tissue endometriosis play critical physiologic roles. We found that mRNA and protein levels of estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) were strikingly higher, whereas leve…

OBJECTIVE: In endometrium, stromal progesterone receptors mediate production of paracrine factors, which enhance binding of the transcription factor specific protein-1 to the promoter of the gene encoding the 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydroge…

CONTEXT: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), a transcriptional factor essential for activation of multiple steroidogenic genes for estrogen biosynthesis, is undetectable in normal endometrial strom…

Local estrogen biosynthesis is a major factor in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Aberrant expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and aromatase in endometriotic tissue leads to an up-regulation of estrogen production.…

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To review the role of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) in the treatment of endometriosis. CONCLUSION(S): Endometriosis is a common estrogen-dependent disorder that can result in substantial morbidity, including pelvic pain,…

Blocking the activity of aromatase may be the key to controlling the often-intractable pain of endometriosis. Here, pioneers in the use of aromatase inhibitors review use of the drugs in premenopausal and postmenopausal patients.

Endometriosis is the most common cause of pelvic pain and affects an estimated 5 million women in the US. The biologically active estrogen estradiol (E2) is the best-defined mitogen for the growth and inflammation processes in the ectopic e…