Health Conditions

What is on the horizon?

Studies are currently exploring the possibility of a genetic link for the development of endometriosis and for new medical treatments for pain related to endometriosis. Several different genes have been looked at as possibly being connected to the development of endometriosis. Each gene researched thus far has not been linked to the development of endometriosis. In addition to gene research, improvements in laser and laparoscopic surgeries are leading to better treatments of the condition.

New research has found a possible cause of infertility in some women with endometriosis. The finding appeared in the July 2003 issue of Endocrinology, a medical journal. The study found that some women who are infertile as a result of endometriosis lack molecules in their uterus that let the embryo attach to the uterine wall. Because the embryo cannot attach, a pregnancy cannot occur. The researchers also reported that a number of genes present in the uteri of women with endometriosis appear to be functioning inappropriately. Many of those genes identified in the study had not been shown previously to contribute to endometriosis and the infertility that often accompanies the condition.

A large research project called The Oxford Endometriosis Gene (OXEGENE) Study was initiated in 2001 and was completed in 2005. The study was designed to determine which genes are involved in the development of endometriosis. The study involves hospitals and endometriosis self-help groups throughout the world. The study used sisters with surgically diagnosed disease of endometriosis in Australia and the United Kingdom. There appears to be a linkage between endometriosis and chromosome 10q, specifically chromosome 10q26. Further studies are planned to be conducted to confirm the results of this study as well as further research on genes PTEN and EMX2 which may also be linked to endometriosis.

A recent study has looked at the use of anastrozole (a drug used in the treatment of breast cancer) in the treatment of endometriosis. It is believed that endometric lesions produce estrogens. Anastrozole works by blocking an enzyme in the body called aromatase, causing decreased production of estrogen. While the study was promising, further studies are needed before considering anastrozole both safe and effective in endometriosis treatment. A recent study with letrozole, another drug that blocks aromatase, was stopped early because women developed ovarian cysts while taking the drug.