The endometrium of the adult uterus has remarkable regenerative ability. In most women, this complex tissue repairs itself after injury, including from childbirth, achieving full function to support pregnancy again in the future. Now researchers want to learn more about the cells responsible for those repairs.
Andrew Kelleher, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the University of Missouri School of Medicine has been awarded a five-year, $2.17 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, an institute of the National Institutes of Health, to study the ability of cells in a women’s uterine endometrial lining to regenerate in a manner similar to stem cells.
“The uterine endometrial lining appears to contain cells that coordinate successful regeneration following injury,” said Kelleher. “An increased understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern this regenerative capacity is important not only for gaining fundamental knowledge of tissue and stem cell biology but also for the development of therapeutics for the treatment of endometrial diseases.”
In addition to endometrial diseases, such as endometriosis, endometrial fibroids, Asherman’s syndrome and endometrial cancer, aberrations in regeneration can make pregnancy more difficult or lead to infertility. This research aims to increase our understanding of the mechanisms governing uterine epithelial cell differentiation and regeneration with a long-term goal of improving the ability to diagnose, treat, and prevent endometrial disease and infertility in women.
Kelleher’s research lab is in the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building at the University of Missouri. His team’s grant runs through May 2028.
Article Spotlight
The precision medicine currently offered at MU Health Care is part of a bigger initiative to make health care as personalized and effective as possible. With the upcoming opening of the NextGen Precision Health Institute, our researchers and doctors will be able to better understand diseases and conditions as they relate to an individual’s genetics, lifestyle and environment. With that level of understanding and the resources offered at the NextGen Institute, MU Health Care will be able to take discoveries even further, developing treatment and prevention strategies that not only save and improve lives in Missouri, but also can be shared to help others across the globe.
Related News
