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Fenoprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), successfully alleviated pain and inflammation in a rodent model of endometriosis, according to researchers. They chose the drug after using a computer algorithm to evaluate nearly 1,300 existing compounds for their ability to reverse gene expression related to endometriosis disease. Analysis by researchers using publicly available data from people with endometriosis, returned 299 candidate compounds with seven considered top candidates. These drugs included commonly used treatments for the disease, such as aspirin, as well as those not yet studied for this purpose. The researchers chose fenoprofen for further evaluation because it returned the highest...

A charity for a disease that can cause serious pain and pregnancy complications for females has appointed a transgender woman to be CEO. Endometriosis South Coast (ESC) is described as an "inclusive" charity set up to support those diagnosed with endometriosis or adenomyosis. These two diseases occur when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus or into the uterine muscular wall itself. ESC recently announced that Steph Richards, a transgender woman who uses she/her pronouns, was named the new CEO of the charity. The announcement included a picture of Richards alongside a quote that read,...

Researchers have found a correlation between a compound found in fruits and vegetables and a reduction in the symptoms of endometriosis. In an article, the researchers outline how flavonoids may be able to help suppress the symptoms of inflammatory diseases like endometriosis. In endometriosis, cells similar to those in the lining of the uterus begin growing in other places in the body, causing inflammation. The painful condition affects millions of women, and there is no cure. Flavonoids have been associated with anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral medical benefits, but the details of how they work have remained a mystery. "We...

Women with a history of endometriosis had higher concentrations of cadmium in their urine compared to those without that diagnosis, according to a study that suggests the toxic metal could be linked to the development of endometriosis. Affecting one in 10 reproductive-age women, endometriosis is a gynecologic condition in which tissue that looks like the lining of the uterus, or womb, appears outside the uterus. Those with endometriosis can experience chronic, painful and debilitating symptoms. Cadmium is a toxic metal and a "metalloestrogen," meaning it can act like the hormone estrogen. People are commonly exposed to cadmium by breathing in...

A research group has discovered that using an antibiotic to target Fusobacterium reduced the formation of lesions associated with endometriosis, a gynecological disorder characterized by endometrial tissue usually found inside the uterus being found outside it. Their findings suggest an alternative treatment for this disorder. Endometriosis affects one in ten women between the ages of 15 and 49. The disorder can cause lifelong health problems, including pelvic pain and infertility. Although it can be treated using hormone therapy and surgical resection, these procedures sometimes lead to side effects, recurrence, and a significant impact on pregnancy. The group led by Professor...

The genomic discovery indicates inflammatory mechanisms may play a role in endometriosiskolapatha/Depositphotos ___________________________________________________________________________________ Decades of research has culminated in a landmark study identifying a novel genetic variant that is associated with severe cases of endometriosis. The gene is known to play a role in several inflammatory diseases and the findings direct researchers toward new non-hormonal drug treatments for the painful condition. Affecting around one in 10 women, endometriosis is a painful condition that can lead to infertility. It is unknown what causes the endometriosis but researchers do know the condition is heritable, suggesting genetics play a notable role. The new...

There is no more unifying experience among women around the globe than menstruation. All women understand what it feels like to have their period—even if they don’t exactly understand what it is. And yet, the topic of menstruation continues to hold significant stigmas, and embarrassment or hesitation to discuss this vital function of the female body has created gaps in our knowledge of how the menstrual cycle affects a women’s overall health. Therefore, it was a welcome shock to discover that the May 2019 issue of Scientific American magazine is primarily dedicated to the science of women’s reproductive health—or rather,...

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found, in mice, that treatment with an antibiotic reduces the size of lesions caused by endometriosis. The researchers are planning a large, multicenter clinical trial to test the drug metronidazole in women who have the painful condition. Studying mice, the researchers found that treating the animals with metronidazole reduced the size of endometriosis-related lesions in the gut. That was true whether treatment was started before the lesions began forming or after endometriosis already was well-established. The findings also suggest that bacteria in the gut microbiome may help drive, or...

Growing up, Kelly Pietkiwicz, 29, wasn’t a runner. Sprints were her least favorite form of exercise, and she gravitated to swimming and competitive cheerleading instead. But while she was preparing to move to Nashville, Tennessee, from Memphis after college, she wanted to find a way to keep connected to Memphis. The answer? The St. Jude’s Half Marathon. “St. Jude’s Research Hospital is located in Memphis, and I had volunteered there,” she told Runner’s World. “My sister Micky was also leaving Memphis, and we both felt like we needed a way to keep Memphis a part of our lives.” So when...

Featured Term (selected at random):ENDOMETRIOSISA gynecological illness caused by the abnormal presence of tissue that more or less perfectly resembles the lining of the uterus (endometrium) but growing outside of the uterus itself and distributed in other pelvic areas. Since this aberrant endometrial tissue responds to the hormone-induced changes of the woman's menstrual cycle but, unlike the true endometrial lining of the uterus, is entrapped in other tissue such as bone and muscle, its cyclic changes of menstruation, causes the problem to repress, and even after the pregnancy improvement is sometimes sustained for a period up to three or...

I was just wondering if anyone else is dealing with endometriosis and/or pcos. I've been looking for support groups elsewhere, but most seem to be (excusing the expression) dying out in popularity. I'm not a new sufferer, but am newly diagnosed wih stage IV endo...and would love to connect with others fighting the same fight. For those others to be FReepers would be even better!

Yesenia Lopez was 12 when she developed endometriosis, a chronic condition caused when uterine tissue grows outside the uterus. So the now mother of two volunteered for a study testing two antioxidants, vitamin E and vitamin C, to see if she could finally get some relief. "There was the belief that endometriosis causes quite a bit of damage in the pelvis and is almost like an oxidant. So the thought was what if one uses an antioxidant? And vitamins are known to have some antioxidant capacities," said Dr. Celia Dominguez of Emory University. Fifty-nine women enrolled in the two-month pilot...