Advantages
- Identification of prostaglandins and their receptors as potential therapeutic targets for endometriosis.
- The research will be validated in a mouse model of endometriosis.
Technology Overview & Background
Endometriosis is a disease that causes infertility and chronic pain due to estrogen-dependent proliferation of the endometrium, which is detached during menstruation, flows back through the fallopian tubes, and grows on the pelvis and ovaries, which are not inside the uterus where it is supposed to be. While the prevalence of this disease is extremely high, approximately 10% of women of reproductive age, there is still no curative therapy, and the establishment of an effective treatment is urgently needed.
This researcher is studying the regulation of biological functions by prostaglandins and their receptors. Prostaglandins are hormones that play a variety of roles in many tissues and organs. As a result, they found that the content of some prostaglandins and the expression of their receptors in the lesions positively correlated with the size of the lesions.
Current Stages
- Using a mouse model of endometriosis (see below for details), the researcher conducted a detailed analysis of prostaglandin content and its receptor expression in endometriosis and found that the higher the prostaglandin content and its receptor expression, the larger the endometriosis foci. He also found that mice lacking this prostaglandin receptor had reduced endometriosis foci weight, a result that provides a clue to the target cell.
- Mice in which endometrial tissue matured with estrogen after ovariectomy was transplanted and administered into the abdominal cavity of another solid female treated in the same manner, allowing endometrial cells to settle and proliferate outside the uterus. As in humans, they exhibit estrogen-dependent endometrial proliferation.
- In addition, he has confirmed that the expression level of COX-2 positively correlates with lesion size, and that administration of indomethacin after implantation in the above endometriosis model mice suppresses the progression of the disease.
Suggestion for Next Steps
The researcher believes that the prostaglandin receptor identified in this study is a potential therapeutic target for endometriosis and is searching for a pharmaceutical company to collaborate on the following research and development.
- Identification of the cells producing said prostaglandins (target cells) in this model.
- Elucidation of the correlation between prostaglandin receptor expression in human endometriosis patients.
The confidentiality agreement with Kumamoto University regarding this research theme allows for the disclosure of unpublished data and details of future developments as considered by the researcher.
Principal Investigator & Academic Institution
Yukihiko SUGIMOTO, PhD (Professor, Kumamoto University, Japan), et al.
Project.JT-04678