Endometriosis breakthrough

MELBOURNE scientists have found a new way to find a crucial stem cell in the lining of a women’s womb.

The world-first finding will drive desperately needed research into a common health condition.

One in 10 women of a reproductive age suffers from endometriosis, many do so in silence, because of the lack of awareness about how painful and debilitating it can be.

It occurs when cells that line the uterus are found in other parts of the body causing pelvic and back pain, difficult menstrual cycles and infertility.

Professor Caroline Gargett, who made the new finding with her team at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, said they have found a marker for a type of adult stem cell in the uterus. The marker is a protein that’s expressed by the endometrial epithelial progenitor cells.

“I think this is a breakthrough because we have found a marker so we know exactly where these cells are, we can isolate them and study them,” said Prof Gargett, who is the head of the endometrial stem cell biology research group at The Ritchie Centre.

The cells are important in growing the glands in the endometrium each month, which help feed an embryo in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy before the placenta takes over.

“We think that these stem cells are being abnormally shed in the pelvic cavity causing this difficult and painful condition.”

The discovery was made using endometrial tissue samples from 74 women.

An Australian study estimated the cost of endometriosis to be $7.7 billion annually due to lost productivity from women taking sick days and healthcare costs.

The research, published in the journal Human Reproduction, may also help researchers trying to better understand a range of gynaecological conditions, which are difficult to diagnose and treat.