The Development of a Mouse Model of

Pelvic pain is a common presenting ailment in women often linked to ovulation, endometriosis, early pregnancy, ovarian cancer, and cysts. Clear differential diagnosis for each con-dition caused by these varied etiologies is difficult and may slow thedeliveryof therapy that, in the caseof ovariancancer, could be fatal. Ovarian endosalpingiosis, a pelvic condition typified by the presence of cystic glandular structures lined by benign tubal/salpingeal epithelium, is also associated with pelvic pain in women. The exact cellular antecedents of these epithelial lined cystic structures are not known, nor is there a known link to ovarian cancer. A mouse model of ovarian endosalpingiosis hasbeendevelopedbydirectingadominant-negative version of the TGF-! transcription factor, Smad2, to the ovary using the Müllerian-inhibiting substance promoter (MIS-Smad2-dn). Female mice develop an ovarian endosalp-