Title:Recent Advances in Gene Therapy of Endometriosis
Volume: 7
Issue: 3
Author(s): Anastasia N. Shubina, Anna A. Egorova, Vladislav S. Baranov and Anton V. Kiselev
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Angiogenesis, endometriosis, gene delivery, gene therapy, inflammation.
Abstract: Endometriosis is a gynecological disease that affects up to 10%-15% of all reproductive-age women worldwide.
It is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissues outside the uterine cavity. Endometriosis is a complex disease;
its pathogenesis includes altered steroid metabolism and immune system abnormalities such as inflammation, increased
angiogenic activity in the peritoneal fluid and impaired recognition of ectopic endometrial cells. The development
of endometriosis also depends on genetic, anatomical and environmental factors. Numerous surgical and medical approaches
to treat endometriosis have been developed to date. However, complete resolution of the problem has not been
achieved so far. Gene therapy holds exciting promise for the treatment of numerous disorders and current studies have indicated
it can also be applied to endometriosis. The focus of this review is to summarize the pathogenetic background of
the disease and to highlight current gene therapy approaches for this common gynecological disorder.
