11 - Adult stem cells in the human endometrium

Summary

The human endometrium is a dynamically remodeling tissue that undergoes more than 400 cycles of regeneration, differentiation, and shedding during a woman's reproductive years. Adult stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis by providing replacement cells in regenerating tissues and in routine cellular turnover, and are responsible for tissue repair after acute injury. Adenomyosis, a condition affecting 1% of women, results from extensive myometrial invasion by the basal endometrium. It is associated with smooth muscle hyperplasia, and is also considered to arise from fetal Mullerian cells. There is great interest in the use of both embryonic and adult stem cells in tissue-engineering applications for restoring function to aging or diseased tissues and organs. The use of tissue-engineering constructs comprising scaffolds and autologous endometrial mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells may provide a possible solution for treatment of pelvic-floor prolapse in the future.