Matrix Tropism Influences Endometriotic Cell Attachment Patterns

The initiation of endometriotic lesions is not well understood or characterized because endometriosis is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage. Endometriotic lesions are most often found on pelvic tissues and organs, especially the ovaries. To investigate the role of tissue tropism on ovarian endometrioma initiation, we adapted a well-characterized polyacrylamide microarray system to investigate the role of tissue-specific extracellular matrix and adhesion motifs on endometriotic cell attachment, morphology, and size. We report the influence of cell origin (endometriotic vs. non-endometriotic), substrate stiffness mimicking aging and fibrosis, and the role of multicellular (epithelial-stromal) cohorts on cell attachment patterns. We identify multiple ovarian-specific attachment motifs that significantly increase endometriotic (vs. non-endometriotic) cell cohort attachment that could be implicated in early disease etiology.