Biology of reproduction

Women with endometriosis can suffer from decreased fecundity or complete infertility via abnormal oocyte function or impaired placental-uterine interactions required for normal pregnancy establishment and maintenance. Although AT-rich inter…

The common environmental toxicant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD or, commonly, dioxin) is a known endocrine disruptor that has been linked to the development of endometriosis in experimental models. Using a murine model, we prev…

Progressive fibrosis is recalcitrant to conventional therapy and commonly complicates chronic diseases and surgical healing. We evaluate here a novel mechanism that regulates scar-tissue collagen (COL1A1/Col1a1) expression and characterizes…

Excess calorie consumption, particularly of a diet high in fat, is a risk factor for both obesity and reproductive disorders. Animal model studies indicate that elevated dietary fat can influence some reproductive functions independent of o…

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…

Adenomyosis is a nonneoplastic condition characterized by the benign invasion of ectopic endometrium into the myometrium. Macrophages play significant roles in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and adenomyosis. An EMT associated with …

Extracellular matrix remodeling is necessary for ectopic endometrium implantation. Many studies have shown an increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) in the ectopic endometrium of endometriosis. However, the signaling path…

Endometriosis is a highly prevalent, chronic, heterogeneous, fibro-inflammatory disease that remains recalcitrant to conventional therapy. We previously showed that loss of KLF11, a transcription factor implicated in uterine disease, result…

The gynecological disease endometriosis is characterized by the deposition and proliferation of endometrial cells outside the uterus and clinically is linked to low body mass index (BMI). Gene expression in the liver of these women has not …

Endometriosis causes severe chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Because the standard medication and surgical treatments of endometriosis show high recurrence of symptoms, it is necessary to improve current treatment options. In the initial…

Implantation of the blastocyst involves numerous hormonal and cellular factors with Notch playing a key role, according to a new study suggesting that this developmental regulator may help modulate expression of the progesterone receptor. I…

Endometriosis is a major cause of chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Activation of STAT3 appears central to the inflammatory phenotype of eutopic endometrium in women with endometriosis. However, the molecular mechanism by which this occu…

Endometriosis is the hormone-dependent product of endometrial tissue found outside the uterus. Recently, micro-RNAs (miRNAs) were shown to play a role in endometriotic lesion development. However, the mechanism of steroid hormones responsib…

Lpar3 encodes LPA3, the third G protein-coupled receptor for lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Lpar3(-/-) female mice had delayed embryo implantation. Their serum progesterone and estrogen levels were comparable with control on Gestation Day 3.5…

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found abundantly in the environment, resulting in daily human exposure. This is of concern because many EDCs are known to target the female reproductive system and, more specifically, the ovary. In …

Uterine endometrium is one of the most important organs for species preservation. However, the physiology of human endometrium remains poorly understood, because the human endometrium undergoes rapid and large changes during each menstrual …

Reproductive disease and fertility issues have dramatically increased in the human population over the last several decades, suggesting environmental impacts. Epigenetics provides a mechanistic link by which an organism can respond to envir…

Endometriosis is a common estrogen-dependent gynecological disease influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified eight genomic regions with strong evidence for association w…

Adenomyosis is commonly believed to arise from the basalis endometrium. As an estromedin growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) exhibits multiple functions in endometriosis, a disease commonly believed to arise from the functionalis …

Krüppel-like Factor (KLF) 13 and the closely related KLF9 are members of the Sp/KLF family of transcription factors that have collectively emerged as essential regulators of tissue development, differentiation, proliferation, and programmed…

Stem cell therapies have opened new frontiers in medicine with the possibility of regenerating lost or damaged cells. Embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells have been used …

Chromatin remodeling influences gene expression in developing and adult organisms. Active and repressive marks of histone methylation dictate the embryonic expression boundaries of developmentally regulated genes, including the Hox gene clu…

Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of tissue resembling the endometrium in locations outside the uterus. The pathogenesis of endometriosis is still unknown; however, it is believed that the lympha…