Endometriosis: new insights and opportunities for relief of symptoms
Abstract
Endometriosis is a chronic neuroinflammatory disorder believed to impact on the wellbeing of more than 190 million women and people assigned female at birth. The defining hallmark of endometriosis is the growth of endometrial-like tissue as "lesions" outside the uterus. Most lesions are found in the pelvis and referred to as peritoneal (superficial), ovarian (endometrioma) or deep depending on location. Patients often suffer from persistent pelvic pain which can be worse during menstruation as well as fatigue, gastro-intestinal and urinary symptoms and mood disorders that impact quality of life. It is estimated 30-50% of patients with endometriosis may have problems conceiving. Diagnostic delay is ~7-9 years after first symptoms. There are currently no reliable biomarker(s). Advances in imaging have improved diagnosis of ovarian and deep subtypes but definitive diagnosis may require invasive laparoscopic surgery. Standard treatment options include surgery as well as drugs that suppress ovarian hormones which have unwanted side effects. New approaches to symptom management have been informed by the reframing of endometriosis as a multisystem disease. Genetic studies have identified shared risk factors with inflammatory and other chronic pain conditions. Alterations in hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory pathways in samples from endometriosis patients have opened-up new avenues for medical therapy, including drug repurposing. There is increased interest in non-medical and…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Bioactive Molecules Released in Food by Lactic Acid Bacteria: Encrypted Peptides and Biogenic Amines
- A central role for amyloid fibrin microclots in long COVID/PASC: origins and therapeutic implications
- Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phenolic compounds
- The Glutamate Hypothesis in ALS: Pathophysiology and Drug Development
- Therapeutic Approaches to Genetic Ion Channelopathies and Perspectives in Drug Discovery
- Effects of the Mediterranean Diet on the Components of Metabolic Syndrome Concerning the Cardiometabolic Risk
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.