Matthias W. Laschke

PURPOSE: This article presents a novel concept of the evolution and, thus, the pathogenesis of uterine adenomyosis as well as peritoneal and peripheral endometriosis. Presently, no unifying denomination of this nosological entity exists. M…

Treating estrogen-dependent diseases like endometriosis with drugs suppressing local estrogen activation may be superior to existing endocrine therapies. Steroid sulfatase (STS) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1) are key…

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease which is characterized by endometriotic lesions outside the uterine cavity. In this study, we investigated whether the presence of pre-existing endometriotic lesions promotes the development o…

Endometriosis represents an estrogen-dependent disorder with a complex pathophysiology. Phytochemicals are promising candidates for endometriosis therapy, because they simultaneously target different cellular processes involved in the patho…

Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, is an essential process determining numerous physiological and pathological conditions. Accordingly, there is a high demand for research approaches allowing the inve…

Endometriosis develop from shed endometrial fragments via retrograde menstruation. This affects the survival, proliferation and vascularization of the tissue and its final ability to form endometriotic lesions. Within this study, uterine ti…

STUDY QUESTION: Is there a difference in the growth and vascularization between murine endometriotic lesions originating from menstrual or non-menstrual endometrial fragments? SUMMARY ANSWER: Endometriotic lesions developing from menstrual …

Angiogenesis crucially contributes to various diseases, such as cancer and diabetic retinopathy. Hence, anti-angiogenic therapy is considered as a powerful strategy against these diseases. Previous studies reported that the acyclic monoterp…

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Limited evidence suggests that the sphingosine-1-phosphate/sphingosine kinase 1 (S1P/SPHK1) signalling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Therefore, we analyzed in this study whether the inhibi…

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The development of endometriotic lesions is crucially dependent on the formation of new blood vessels. In the present study, we analysed whether this process is regulated by erythropoietin-producing hepatoma receptor…

BACKGROUND: Given the disadvantages and limitations of current endometriosis therapy, there is a progressive increase in studies focusing on plant-derived agents as a natural treatment option with the intention of achieving high efficiency,…

Ethnopharmacological relevanceCalligonum comosum is a desert plant that is applied in traditional folkloric medicine for the treatment of abnormally heavy or prolonged menstruation and menstrual cramps. Moreover, it has been suggested for t…

Accumulating evidence indicates that there is an interaction between the gut microbiota and endometriotic lesions. The new formation of these lesions is associated with stem cell recruitment, angiogenesis and inflammation, which may affect …

High prevalence of endometriosis was reported in Asian women as a result of their traditionally high intake of soy foods during infancy. Soy is widely used in infant feeding after weaning from breast milk or cow milk. This study thus aimed …

BACKGROUND: Vascularization is a major hallmark in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. An increasing number of studies suggests that multiple mechanisms contribute to the vascularization of endometriotic lesions, including angiogenesis, vasc…

The incorporation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) into newly developing blood vessels contributes to the vascularization of endometriotic lesions. We analyzed whether cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 signaling regulates this vasculogenic proce…

Die Endometriose ist eine gynäkologische Erkrankung, welche durch das zyklische, östrogenabhängige Wachstum von Endometrioseherden außerhalb der Gebärmutterhöhle charakterisiert ist. In zahlreichen tierexperimentellen Studien wurde das Wach…

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Telmisartan suppresses the development of endometriotic lesions. However, the drug also up-regulates the expression of COX-2, which has been suggested to promote the progression of endometriosis. Accordingly, in the …

Angiogenesis is essential for the engraftment and growth of endometriotic lesions. In this study, we analyzed whether this process is regulated by Notch signaling. Endometriotic lesions were induced by endometrial tissue transplantation int…

Current endocrine therapeutics for the estrogen-dependent disease endometriosis often lead to considerable side-effects as they act by reducing estrogen action systemically. A more recent approach takes advantage of the fact that the weak e…

The incorporation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) into microvessels contributes to the vascularization of endometriotic lesions. Herein, we analyzed whether this vasculogenic process is regulated by estrogen. Estrogen- and vehicle-tr…

BACKGROUND: The development and long-term survival of endometriotic lesions is crucially dependent on an adequate vascularization. Hyaluronic acid (HA) through its receptor CD44 has been described to be involved in the process of angiogenes…