REVIEW ARTICLE: Three‐Dimensional Culture of Endometrial Cells: An In Vitro Model of Endometriosis

Navid Esfandiari, Nazemian Z, Zohreh Nazemian, Casper RF, Robert F Casper
American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2008 · vol. 60(4) , pp. 283–289 · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0897.2008.00623.x · PMID:18680486 · W1794252279
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This review discusses a novel in vitro model using a 3D fibrin matrix to culture human endometrial cells, potentially mimicking early endometriosis development and enabling the exploration of anti-angiogenic therapies.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity and is the most common gynecologic disorder in women of reproductive age. Although the quality of life for women with endometriosis is severely compromised, very little is known about the pathophysiology of endometriosis and current therapeutic strategies provide temporary symptomatic relief but not a cure. Endometriosis remains poorly understood primarily because of an inability to identify patients with early stage disease. Animal models have been developed to study early endometriosis but all have some problems that limit their usefulness in determination of the pathophysiology of endometriosis as it occurs in the human. We have preliminary evidence that in the presence of a three‐dimensional fibrin matrix, human endometrial glands, stroma, and neovascularization can develop in vitro , mimicking the earliest stages of endometriosis. We believe this model system reflects the situation in the peritoneal cavity of women following retrograde menstruation when endometrial fragments, fibrin, leucocytes and cytokines are trapped in pockets in the dependent parts of the pelvis, allowing endometrial cell proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis to occur. In the present review article, we will further discuss this in vitro model of early endometriosis and discuss possible anti‐angiogenic drugs that are already commercially available in an attempt to find an effective and specific treatment for endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Cell Culture Techniques Endometriosis Endometrium Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors Neovascularization, Pathologic Animals Disease Models, Animal Endometriosis Endometrium Female Humans Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors Neovascularization, Pathologic

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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.

References (35)

Cited by (7)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK