The role of the CXC chemokine family in endometriosis research and its therapeutic potential

Endometriosis (EM) is a chronic estrogen-dependent gynecological disease that affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age and is a leading cause of infertility worldwide. In addition to reproductive dysfunction, EM is associated with chronic pain, psychological distress, and significant healthcare costs, yet its etiopathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Chemokines, especially members of the CXC family, have attracted increasing attention for their roles in EM-related inflammation, immune dysregulation, cell migration, angiogenesis, and pain modulation. These small signaling proteins, typically 8–10 kDa in size, are aberrantly expressed in ectopic lesions and participate in both disease initiation and progression. This review aims to systematically summarize current research on the expression patterns and biological functions of CXC chemokines in EM, with a particular focus on their contributions to diagnostic strategies, pathological mechanisms, and therapeutic development. While emerging evidence highlights their importance, further studies are needed to clarify subtype-specific mechanisms and clinical applicability. Understanding the roles of CXC chemokines may help uncover novel molecular targets for diagnosis and intervention, thereby advancing more effective and personalized treatments for patients with endometriosis. Similar content being viewed by others Data availability No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Both authors participated in drafting the manuscript and critically revising it for important intellectual content. Yan Deng and Qin Liu both gave final approval of the version to be published and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring accuracy and integrity. Corresponding author Ethics declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests. Consent for publication Manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. Additional information Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. About this article Cite this article Deng, Y., Liu, Q. The role of the CXC chemokine family in endometriosis research and its therapeutic potential. J Mol Histol 56, 211 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-025-10512-5 Received: Accepted: Published: Version of record: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-025-10512-5