Current and future medical treatment for endometriosis

Although it is difficult to determine the actual incidence of endometriosis, an increase in the frequency of menstrual periods due to women's entry into the workforce and the trend toward late childbearing and low fertility are thought to be the reasons for the rising incidence. The characteristics of endometriosis include the need to preserve fertility in the majority of cases, and the association of dysmenorrhea in young patients with future development of endometriosis. We presented that IAP (Inhibitor of apoptotic protein) inhibitors have the potential to be novel agents for the treatment of endometriosis. A medicinal herb parthenolide and selective estrogen receptor modulator, which are found in a number of plants, suppressed inflammation and proliferation in human endometriosis cells and shrink mouse foci through NF-kB inhibition. We found that Kampo medicine raised the pain threshold in mice and inhibited IL-33 expression in endometriotic lesions. Recently, we have applied bioluminescence technology and knockout mouse models to non-invasively observe early lesions. I will explain the possibility of new therapeutic agents for endometriosis.