Journal of molecular endocrinology

The prostanoid G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) EP2 is widely expressed and implicated in endometriosis, osteoporosis, obesity, pre-term labour and cancer. Internalisation and intracellular trafficking are critical for shaping GPCR activit…

The gut microbiome is considered an endocrine organ that can influence distant organs and associated biological pathways. Recent advances suggest that gut microbial homeostasis is essential for reproductive health and that perturbations in …

Progesterone's ability to maintain pregnancy in eutherian mammals highlighted this steroid as the 'hormone of pregnancy'. It was the unique 'pro-gestational' bioactivity of progesterone that enabled eventual purification of this ovarian ste…

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a chronic, debilitating and common condition affecting one in four women of reproductive age. Current treatments (conservative, medical and surgical) may be unsuitable, poorly tolerated or may result in lo…

The aberrant histone methylation patterns contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis (EM). Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1), a histone methyltransferase, is crucial for gene expression by catalyzing the trimethylation of histone 3 lysin…

miRNAs are endogenous noncoding single-stranded small RNAs of ~22 nucleotides in length that post-transcriptionally repress the expression of their various target genes. They contribute to the regulation of a variety of physiologic processe…

Successful implantation and placentation are dependent on the interaction between decidual stromal cells (DSC) and extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells. The extent of trophoblast invasion relies on communication between the placenta and mat…

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. It affects approximately 5-10% of women of reproductive age. Endometriosis is associated with dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia and, often, severe pelvic pai…

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) plays fundamental roles in male and female fertility. FSH is a heterodimeric glycoprotein expressed by gonadotrophs in the anterior pituitary. The hormone-specific FSHβ-subunit is non-covalently associated…

In women, establishment of pregnancy is dependent upon 'fine-tuning' of the endometrial microenvironment, which is mediated by terminal differentiation (decidualisation) of endometrial stromal fibroblasts (ESFs). We have demonstrated that i…

Endometriosis is an incurable hormone-dependent inflammatory disease that causes chronic pelvic pain and infertility characterized by implantation and growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Symptoms have a major impact on …

Steroid sulphatase is an emerging drug target for the endocrine therapy of hormone-dependent diseases, catalysing oestrogen sulphate hydrolysis to oestrogen. Drug discovery, developing the core aryl O-sulphamate pharmacophore, has led to st…

Long-term exposure to excess estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer and type 1 endometrial cancer. Most of the estrogen in premenopausal women is synthesized by the ovaries, while extraovarian subcutaneous adipose tissue is the predom…

Enhanced inflammation and reduced apoptosis sustain the growth of endometriotic lesions. Alterations in the expression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor-beta (ERβ) accompany the conversion of resident endometrial cells …

Progesterone and progesterone receptors (PRs) are essential for the development and cyclical regulation of hormone-responsive tissues including the breast and reproductive tract. Altered functions of PR isoforms contribute to the pathogenes…

Female reproductive tract pathologies arise largely from dysregulation of estrogen and progesterone receptor signaling, leading to aberrant cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The signaling pathways orchestrated by these nucl…

Endometriosis is an extremely prevalent disorder characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue at ectopic locations. Glycolysis is an energy-producing mechanism that occurs in almost all cells and requires an adequate uptake of glucose …

Nuclear receptors are transcription factors that regulate gene expression through the ligand-controlled recruitment of a diverse group of proteins known as coregulators. Most nuclear receptor coregulators function in large multi-protein com…

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) is an orphan nuclear receptor that acts as a transcriptional activator or repressor in a cell type-dependent manner. Best characterized for its role in the regulation o…

Tetraspanin CD82 is a wide-spectrum tumor metastasis suppressor that inhibits motility and invasiveness of cancer cells. Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disorder, but appears malignant behaviors including invasion, ectopic implantat…

RANTES (C-C chemokine, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) is involved in progression of endometriosis, but the precise mechanism is understood inadequately. This study is to elucidate the roles of RANTES in macro…

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are potentially useful in treating various endometrial disorders, including endometrial cancer, as they block some of the detrimental effects of estrogen. It remains unclear whether each SERM r…

In addition to its calciotropic function, the secosteroid 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)), has potent anti-proliferative/immunomodulatory effects on various tissues. Consistently, the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of 1,25…

Information on the regulation of steroid hormone receptors and their distinct functions within the human endometrial epithelium is largely unavailable. We have immortalized human primary endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) isolated from a n…

Oral dosing of CD-1 mice on days 2-5 after birth with tamoxifen but not raloxifene disrupts the development of the myometrium, resulting in adult uterine adenomyosis. Using laser capture microdissection and RT-PCR we have investigated nerve…