Characterization of cell fusion in an experimental mouse model of endometriosis†

Aya Tal, A Tal, R Tal, Reshef Tal, S Shaikh, Shafiq Shaikh, Stephanie Gidicsin, S Gidicsin, Ramanaiah Mamillapalli, R Mamillapalli, H S Taylor, Hugh S. Taylor
Biology of reproduction · 2018 · vol. 100(2) , pp. 390–397 · doi:10.1093/biolre/ioy221 · PMID:30304517 · W2895795011
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This study detected low-frequency cell fusion within endometriotic lesions in a mouse model, identifying bone marrow-derived cells as a primary source contributing to a mesenchymal/stromal cell population.

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Abstract

Cell fusion is involved in the development of some adult organs, is implicated in the pathogenesis of specific types of cancer, and is known to participate in repair/regeneration processes mediated by bone-marrow-derived cells (BMDCs). Endometriosis is a disease characterized by growth of functional endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity. Endometriosis shares some molecular properties with cancer and BMDCs home to endometriosis lesions in a mouse model. Our objective was to determine if cell fusion can occur in endometriosis and establish whether bone-marrow-derived cells participate in cell fusion events in lesions. We employed a Cre-Lox system to identify cell fusion events in a mouse model of endometriosis. Fused cells were detected in endometriotic lesions, albeit at a low frequency (∼1 in 400 cells), localized to the stromal compartment, and displayed restricted proliferation. Using 5-fluorouracil-based nongonadotoxic bone marrow transplantation model, we demonstrate that bone marrow cells represent a principal cell source for fusion events in lesions. Cell fusion progeny uniformly lacked expression of selected markers of hematopoietic, endothelial, and epithelial markers, though they expressed the mesenchymal/stromal markers Sca-1 and CD29. This study is the first to describe the phenomenon of cell fusion in endometriosis and points to a mesenchymal population derived from cell fusion events with limited proliferative activity, properties previously attributed to endometrial stem cells. Their putative role in the pathogenesis of the disease remains to be elucidated.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Cell Fusion Endometriosis Animals Disease Models, Animal Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Female Flow Cytometry Mice Mutation

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Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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