International journal of molecular sciences

Endometriosis is a "mysterious" disease and its exact cause has not yet been established. Among the etiological factors, congenital, environmental, epigenetic, autoimmune and allergic factors are listed. It is believed that the primary mech…

Endometriosis, an estrogen-dependent chronic gynecological disease, is characterized by a systemic inflammation that affects circulating red blood cells (RBC), by reducing anti-oxidant defenses. The aim of this study was to investigate the …

Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the blood vessels are important players in many biological phenomena but are crucial in hypoxia-dependent diseases where their deregulation contributes to pathology. On the other hand, processes mediated by EC…

Cell-cell communication is an essential mechanism for the maintenance and development of various organs, including the female reproductive system. Today, it is well-known that the function of the female reproductive system and successful pr…

Previous studies have demonstrated that endocrine disruptors (EDs) can promote the transgenerational inheritance of disease susceptibility. Among the many existing EDs, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlordibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) affects reproductive health, …

Cluster of differentiation 73 (CD73, also known as ecto-5'-nucleotidase) is an enzyme that converts AMP into adenosine. CD73 is a surface enzyme bound to the outside of the plasma membrane expressed in several cells and regulates immunity a…

Fundamental pancreatic β-cell function is to produce and secrete insulin in response to blood glucose levels. However, when β-cells are chronically exposed to hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), insulin biosynthesis and secret…

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a deleterious condition which strongly affects a woman's quality of life. Although aggressive interventions should be considered to treat high-grade EC, a conservative approach should be taken into consideration f…

The female reproductive system ages before any other organ system in the body. This phenomenon can have tangible clinical implications leading to infertility, miscarriages, birth defects and systemic deterioration due to estrogen loss. "Fib…

The diagnosis of endometriosis and fertility disorders is difficult; therefore, it is necessary to look for reliable biomarkers. Analysis of the molecular status of fibronectin as a key player in repair and wound healing processes, as well …

Wnt signaling is an important pathway mainly active during embryonic development and controlling cell proliferation. This regulatory pathway is aberrantly activated in several human diseases. Ion channels are known modulators of several imp…

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disorder that has been associated with endometrial, breast and epithelial ovarian cancers in epidemiological studies. Since complex diseases are a result of multiple environmental and genetic factors,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in five microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-604A>G, miR-608C>G, 631I/D, miR-938G>A, and miR-1302-3C>T, are associated with the risk of idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Blood s…

Ovarian mature cystic teratomas comprise tissues derived from all three germ layers. In rare cases, malignant tumors arise from ovarian mature cystic teratoma. A variety of tumors can arise from mature cystic teratoma, among which primary m…

There is substantial genetic variation for common traits associated with reproductive lifespan and for common diseases influencing female fertility. Progress in high-throughput sequencing and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have tran…

According to a rich body of literature, immune cell dysfunctions, both locally and systemically, and an inflammatory environment characterize all forms of endometriosis. Alterations in transcripts and proteins involved in the recruitment of…

This review aims at better understanding the genetics of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a frequent feminine disease, affecting up to 10% of women, and characterized by pain and infertility. In the most accepted hypothesis, endometriosis is…

To evaluate the effectiveness of a new class of medical drugs, namely oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists, in the management of premenopausal women with endometriosis-associated pelvic pain. We reviewed the most relevant …

Hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome (HHCS) is a rare disease characterized by high serum ferritin levels, congenital bilateral cataracts, and the absence of tissue iron overload. This disorder is produced by mutations in the iron…

Ovarian cancers include several disease subtypes and patients often present with advanced metastatic disease and a poor prognosis. New biomarkers for early diagnosis and targeted therapy are, therefore, urgently required. This study uses an…

The female reproductive system represents a sensitive target of the harmful effects of cigarette smoke, with folliculogenesis as one of the ovarian processes most affected by this exposure. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of…

The combination of in vitro maturation (IVM) techniques and oocyte vitrification (OV) could increase the number of useful oocytes in different types of patients. IVM and subsequent OV is the most widely used clinical strategy. Would the res…

Although endometriosis is a benign disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissues outside the uterus, ectopic endometrial cells can exhibit malignant biological behaviors. Retinol-binding protein4 (RBP4) is a novel adipocyte-d…

Ovarian aging is associated with elevated oxidative stress and diminished oocyte developmental competence. We aimed to determine the impact of systemic antioxidant treatment in aged mice. Female outbred CF-1 mice were aged for 9 months prio…

Mechanistic understanding of germ cell formation at a genome-scale level can aid in developing novel therapeutic strategies for infertility. Germ cell formation is a complex process that is regulated by various mechanisms, including epigene…