Endometriosis - The Secret Unlocked?

Endometriosis affects approximately one in ten women of childbearing age worldwide. Far reaching and often misunderstood, this disease brings with it discomfort and pain, especially when it is a severe case. Even though the numbers are high, exceeding the numbers of women who suffer with breast cancer or AIDS, it has not been a well-publicized disease and only recently has it garnered any serious media attention.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a biological malfunction in the reproductive organs of a woman. It usually begins with cramping in the abdomen and painful periods. As the condition progresses, the symptoms become more severe. The condition is the displacement of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus, attaching and growing on other organs, such as the ovaries, as well as implanting in the pelvic cavity itself. The endometrial tissue is normally found within the walls of the uterus exclusively and is shed during menses. Since it is very hormonally sensitive, if the tissue isn't flushed during menstruation, it becomes thicker. When the time for menstruating comes, the endometrial tissue that sits in the pelvis bleeds and becomes an inflammatory to the lining of the abdomen, causing pain, scarring and adhesions. Organs are stuck together and most often the heartbreaking result is infertility.

The Mystery Begins to Unravel

The exact cause of endometriosis remains a mystery. However, a team of scientists at the University of Liverpool have identified an enzyme that may be responsible for the condition and may explain infertility in some women.

The enzyme telomerase is released in the latter stages of menses through the endometrium in women with endometriosis. This enzyme appears in cells that divide frequently, such as cancer cells. In normal conditions, telomerase is released in the early stages of menses, not in the latter stages when implantation of an embryo would take place.

Understanding What Happens

Dr. Dharani Hapangama, leader of the research team, said: "Women who have endometriosis express this enzyme in both the early and late stages of the menstrual cycle, which means that the cells will continue to divide and lose their ‘focus' in supporting the establishment of a pregnancy. As a result the lining of the womb may be more hostile to an early pregnancy, and the cells that are shed at this late stage in the menstrual cycle may be more ‘aggressive' and more able to survive and implant outside the uterus, causing pain in the pelvic or abdominal area."

This new research, which is published in the Journal of Human Reproduction, has the potential of assisting in the development of new treatments for this painful condition.