Progress in the Study of Endometrial Stem Cells

The functional layer of the human endometrium is a highly regenerative tissue undergoing monthly cycles of growth, differentiation and shedding during a menstrual cycle under the influence of hormones. This dramatic regeneration capacity showed that adult stem cells reside in the basal layer. Now it has become apparent that stem cells may reside in both functional and basal layers and their abnormal function their surrounding niche may be involved in the initiation and progression of gynaecological diseases such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer. Although more researches are needed to explain and confirm the biological characters and their functions, human endometrial stem cells have gained more and more attention in the field of endometrial regeneration and other tissues regenerating. Endometrial stem cell research may ultimately provide new therapies for disorders of thin dysfunctional endometrium and endometrial diseases and increase our understanding of endometriosis and endometrial cancer.