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Endometriosis - new research will help to find out the cause of the disease and determine effective treatment
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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In the world, many women suffer from such a disease as endometriosis, according to statistics, more than 170 million women and girls worldwide are subject to this disease. At the same time, doctors have not yet precisely determined the exact cause of such a disorder in the functioning of the female body.
Recently, a research group at one of the Massachusetts universities managed to determine cellular activity, thanks to which, according to experts, it is possible not only to better understand the principles of disease development, but also to develop effective treatment methods. It is worth noting that endometriosis is expressed in the fact that the endometrial cells that line the inner cavity of the uterus begin to grow outside the uterus, and adjacent internal organs are drawn into the inflammatory process. According to scientists, the likelihood of developing endometriosis is increased by various external negative factors (ecology, harmful working conditions, etc.), inflammatory processes of the female reproductive system, and heredity also plays an important role in this. Symptoms of this disease are expressed by heavy menstrual flow and severe pain that can radiate to the back. Women suffering from endometriosis have problems with conception and bearing a child. However, not all women have severe pain and heavy menstruation. In some cases, endometriosis develops without any special symptoms. Experts cannot say what exactly provokes the development of this disease.
Currently, endometriosis is treated with hormonal therapy, which leads to drug-induced menopause (artificial menopause). Surgical treatment is also possible, but such treatment is only temporary.
During their study, the specialists decided to take fluid from the abdominal cavity of volunteer participants in the research project and who suffered from various manifestations of endometriosis. The scientists assessed the level of 50 proteins in each sample, in particular cytokines, which regulate the immune response to infection. However, cytokines are capable of independently provoking inflammation, even if there are no favorable conditions for the development of pathogenic microflora. As it turned out, with endometriosis, it is cytokines that cause inflammation.
All the samples obtained contained a certain structure that included the activity of thirteen cytoxins associated with diseases of other internal organs of women. This kind of structure had a negative impact on the reproductive function of women. In the course of further research, it was possible to establish that the main regulator is the c-jun protein. This structure is a molecule produced by the immune cells of the body.
At this stage, specialists have yet to determine which factor activates the immune response in the woman's body. To do this, they will conduct a thorough analysis of tissue samples taken from women suffering from infertility as a result of endometriosis, which causes significant damage to tissue and adjacent internal organs.
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