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Endometriosis in 2023

Harnessing the inflammatory processes in endometriosis

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 20, pages 69–70 (2024)Cite this article

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The pathophysiology of endometriosis is underpinned by a complex interplay of inflammatory processes that are responsible for the local and systemic effects of the condition. Recent studies delve further into this inflammatory interplay; using animal models, they identify potential therapeutic tools and remind us to look beyond the endometriotic lesions.

Key advances

  • In studies exploring the potential therapeutic value of a long-acting antibody directed against IL-8 (AMY109), the size of endometriotic lesions and extent of adhesions and fibrosis was reduced in a syngeneic model of endometriosis established in cynomolgus macaques3.

  • Researchers have suggested a mechanism by which Fusobacterium infection in the endometrium might be causative of endometriosis; pre-clinical studies using a syngeneic mouse model of endometriosis demonstrate that treatment with antibiotics reduces the severity of disease in Fusobacterium-infected animals7.

  • An increase in soma size was observed in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus of microglial cells in a mouse model of endometriosis; these results are suggestive of generalized glial cell activation and have ramifications for how we understand chronic pain and other neurological issues in endometriosis10.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Jane E. Girling

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  1. Jane E. Girling
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Correspondence to Jane E. Girling.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Girling, J.E. Harnessing the inflammatory processes in endometriosis. Nat Rev Endocrinol 20, 69–70 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-023-00937-x

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