Research by scientists from the Departments of Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology sheds new light on the treatment of endometriosis. The study successfully demonstrated in the laboratory that drugs which disrupt blood vessel development could be an alternative method of treatment for the disease.
Research by scientists from the Departments of Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology sheds new light on the treatment of endometriosis. The study successfully demonstrated in the laboratory that drugs which disrupt blood vessel development could be an alternative method of treatment for the disease.
Research by scientists from the Departments of Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology sheds new light on the treatment of endometriosis. The study successfully demonstrated in the laboratory that drugs which disrupt blood vessel development could be an alternative method of treatment for the disease.
Endometriosis is caused when the tissue that lines the womb and shed during menstruation grows outside the womb, commonly on the ovaries or the pelvic cavity. In otherwise healthy women this tissue still responds to reproductive hormones causing painful menstrual cycles, chronic pelvic pains or pain during intercourse. The disease can also make conception difficult. About 10-15 per cent of reproductive aged women suffer from endometriosis.
The study showed that lesions from women with endometriosis have large numbers of immature blood vessels supplying the tissue outside the womb. Previous research from other institutions have shown that immature blood vessels grow in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and degenerate when you remove VEGF.
In the study, antibodies that block VEGF's action reduced the number of endometriosis-like lesions in mice. Because the blood supply to human endometriotic lesions is similar to that in mice, it is likely that these 'antiangiogenic' agents will also benefit women with endometriosis.
Current treatments for endometriosis include surgery to remove the tissue, and drugs to disrupt reproductive hormones. The drugs cannot be taken for extended periods of time and can cause side effects such as hot flushes, irritability, acne and weight gain. Surgery tends to be a short-term solution however the endometrial tissue usually starts growing outside the womb again. The only permanent treatment is a hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries.
Clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of these antiangiogenic drugs in humans have to be carried out before they can be used for endometriosis in women. The initial results of human clinical trials on antiangiogenic agents in patients with colorectal cancer being undertaken by Genentech in the USA showed benefit of the treatment with few side effects.
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