Endometriosis Research

Question 1

What is endometriosis?

Answer 1

A benign condition caused by retrograde periods which result in lesions

Question 2

What are symptoms of endometriosis?

Answer 2

Pelvic pain, severe period pain, heavy menstruation and fatigue

Question 3

What do the lesions do?

Answer 3

Alter the peritoneal microenvironments by secreting factors,
create own vascular and nerve supply
Responds to steriods

Question 4

How is it diagnosed?

Answer 4

MRI or ultrasound or laproscopically

Question 5

Treatment of endometriosis?

Answer 5

Non-surgical treatments involve containing the symptoms by using contraceptives, progesterone, steroids etc.
Surgically - laparoscopic

Question 6

What is wrong with laparoscopically treating endometriosis?

Answer 6

Its invasive
misses lesions often
high recurrence of symptoms
New lesions can still develop

Question 7

What about endometriosis do we still need to find out?

Answer 7

Mechanism of infertility
Drug treatment
Improving biomarkers
Novel imaging approach

Question 8

AMH study

Answer 8

AMH levels could be one reason why fertility is affected - these are seen to decrease in those with superficial and deep lesions.

Question 9

Describe the endometriosis mouse model?

Answer 9

Induce menstruation in mice and collect endometrial tissue after culling the mice. Implant this into a recipient mouse

Question 10

The mouse endometriosis model and DCA/Lactate

Answer 10

Used this model to see if DCA altered lactate as lactate is produced in the endometrium and is reduced by DCA leading to less lesions.

This is a repurposed drug and is therefore been used in trials.

Question 11

What is the endometrium?

Answer 11

Inner most lining of the uterus which supports the fertilised egg.