Identification and characterisation of cells with high proliferative potential in human endometrium

每个月，当子宫衬里没有收到植入胚胎时，作为月经过程的一部分，这种衬里就会脱落。它很快就会被一种新的功能性衬里所取代，这种衬里是从剩余的基层长出来的。绝经后妇女只有较薄的子宫衬里基底层，当她们开始激素替代治疗时，子宫衬里会迅速再生。尽管子宫内膜具有如此显著的再生能力，但对其周期性生长的前体细胞却一无所知。我们的初步研究表明，人类子宫衬里含有罕见的具有高增殖能力的细胞。该项目将识别、表征和定位人类子宫衬里中的这些前体细胞。它还旨在获得关于这些前体细胞如何在再生子宫内壁中发挥作用、它们如何与性激素相互作用以及它们的增殖活动如何受到调节的信息。该项目产生的信息将为子宫衬里的功能提供重要的新见解。它还可以立即应用于与子宫内膜异常生长相关的常见妇科疾病，如子宫内膜异位症，这种疾病会影响10%的育龄妇女，导致疼痛和不孕。更好地了解这些前体细胞可能如何参与子宫内膜异位症和其他妇科疾病，最终可能会导致改进的药物治疗的发展，而不是目前主要的治疗形式--手术干预。

Each month when the uterine lining does not receive an implanting embryo, this lining is shed as part of the menstrual process. It is rapidly replaced with a new functional lining that grows from the basal layer that remains. In post menopausal women, who only have the thin basal layer of the uterine lining, there is rapid regeneration of the lining when they commence hormone replacement therapy. Despite this remarkable regenerative capacity of the uterine lining, nothing is known about the precursor cells responsible for its cyclical growth. Our preliminary studies have shown that the human uterine lining contains a rare population of cells with high proliferative capacity. This project will identify, characterize and locate these precursor cells in the human uterine lining. It also aims to obtain information on how these precursor cells function in regenerating the uterine lining, how they interact with sex hormones and how their proliferative activity is regulated. Information generated from this project will provide significant new insight into the functioning of the uterine lining. It also has immediate application to common gynaecological diseases associated with abnormal growth of the uterine lining, such as endometriosis, a disease which affects 10% of reproductive age women causing pain and infertility. A better understanding of how these precursor cells may be involved in endometriosis and other gynaecological diseases may ultimately lead to the development of improved medical treatments rather than surgical intervention, which is currently the main form of treatment.