Joseph C. Chen

Progestins are widely used for the treatment of gynecologic disorders and alone, or combined with an estrogen, are used as contraceptives. While their potencies, efficacies and side effects vary due to differences in structures, doses and r…

STUDY QUESTION: Do seminal plasma (SP) and its constituents affect the decidualization capacity and transcriptome of human primary endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSFs)? SUMMARY ANSWER: SP promotes decidualization of eSFs from women with …

Seminal plasma (SP), the liquid fraction of semen, is not mandatory for conception, but clinical studies suggest that SP improves implantation rates. Prior in vitro studies examining the effects of SP on the endometrium, the site of implant…

OBJECTIVE: Intrinsic inflammatory characteristics play a pivotal role in stem cell recruitment and homing through migration where the subsequent change in niche has been shown to alter these characteristics. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem…

Human endometrium undergoes extensive regeneration on a cyclic basis in premenopausal women and likely occurs through the contribution of stem/progenitor cells. Menopause results in the permanent cessation of menstrual cycles and is precede…

OBJECTIVE: To develop a protocol for cryopreservation and recovery of human endometrial epithelial cells (eECs) retaining molecular and functional characteristics of endometrial epithelium in vivo. DESIGN: In vitro study using human endome…

Human endometrium undergoes cyclic regeneration involving stem/progenitor cells, but the role of resident endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSC) as progenitors of endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSF) has not been definitively demonstrat…

Purpose Decidualization comprises specific biochemical and morphological changes in uterine endometrium essential for establishment of pregnancy. This process is abnormal in women with endometriosis, a disorder in which endometrial-like tis…

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of coculturing endometrial epithelial cells (eEC) with paired endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSF) on cell-specific gene expression and cytokine secretion patterns. DESIGN: In vitro study. SETTING: Uni…