Understanding Endometriosis: Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Endometriosis Patients

Endometriosis is a disease in which the lining of the uterus grows on other organs, such as the ovaries and intestines. It causes severe pain and infertility in approximately 10% of women who are old enough to become pregnant 1. The diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis place an enormous economic burden on our health care system: approximately $22 billion each year 2. The underlying causes of endometriosis are poorly understood; therefore, treatment options are limited. While we have gained much understanding of the molecular defects that are present in endometriosis tissues and even the endometrium itself, leading to infertility, the translational impact has been limited to lack of appropriate model systems for drug testing or even understanding the disease in a personalized manner. We propose to generate an abundant source of endometrial stromal cells by generating induced pluripotent stem cells specifically from women with endometriosis. Blood cells will be reprogrammed so they become stem cells which will have the potential to be differentiated into any cell type in the body. We propose to generate endometrial stromal cells for this study to evaluate the role of genetics and epigenetics in endometrial stromal cell function. In addition, the ability to propagate the stem cells to abundance will allow for sufficient drug testing. This study will open a whole new and exciting line of research that will impact endometriosis research in a significant way.