PPAR–gamma: a dagger in endometriosis

Endometriosis is a debilitating gynecological disorder with an enigmatic pathogenesis. Current treatment strategy mainly involves surgery and medications, which provide only temporary relief. Endometriosis is associated with an abnormal inflammatory response, one of the recent pathogenesis is RANTES (regulated upon activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted) in endometriotic stromal cells, which is responsible for 70% of monocyte migration in the peritoneal fluid. This RANTES can be inhibited by the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor system. Thiazolidinediones (PPAR Gamma Agonists) exhibited the ability shown to suppress existing endometriotic lesions without suppressing ovulation. In vivo studies have shown some promising results which could be incorporated in humans. These results have promised new avenues of treatment emerging from older drugs. Since the existing conventional drugs have undesirable side effects, there is always a need for highly efficacious and better tolerated drugs acting through novel mechanisms of action. Hence, in this review we have highlighted the usage of a class of drugs commonly used to treat diabetes mellitus, which could also be used to treat endometriosis.