19. Anti-Angiogenic Therapy for Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a gynecological disease affecting 10 to 15% women. The disease is characterized by the growth of endometrium (lining of the uterus) outside of the uterine cavity. Women affected by this condition can experience symptoms that include pelvic pain, irregular bleeding, and infertility. One of the key requirements for endometriotic lesions to survive is to develop a blood supply to support their growth. Our laboratory is investigating mechanisms of how endometriotic lesions establish their blood supply and how neo-angiogenesis is regulated by endothelial and hematopoietic progenitor cells. Results from our laboratory showed that stromal cell derived factor-1 plays an important role in the recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells. Blocking of SDF-1 in a mouse model of endometriosis resulted in reduced lesion growth and survival. Studies are in progress to evaluate safety and efficacy of anti-angiogenic peptide, ABT-898, in an immunodeficient mouse model of endometriosis.