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MU researchers uncover new information about how uterine diseases develop

A person holds a 3d plastic model of the female reproductive system.
Elen Sher
/
Unsplash
A 3d model of the female reproductive system.

A study recently published by University of Missouri researchers has uncovered new information about how the uterus develops. The study, published earlier this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined how abnormal cells can develop and lead to diseases like uterine cancer.

Andrew Kelleher, lead author on the study and assistant professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health with MU School of Medicine said the team studied cells in the endometrium - the innermost layer of lining within the uterus. Epithelial cells, which are abundant in the uterus and other organs, receive instructions from other cells that determine how they develop. Kelleher said the team discovered that these pathways are crucial to proper cell development in the uterus.

“The epithelial cells in development, if they don't receive proper instructions from neighboring cell types, they can go down pathways that may be indicative of disease,” Kelleher said.

Kellleher said he and the team hope this information will lead to earlier diagnosis for uterine diseases, such as uterine cancer. Uterine cancer can be detected by the presence of abnormal cells in the endometrium - but Kelleher says sometimes, the cancer has already started to develop once the cells are found.

By understanding the processes that lead to abnormal cell development, Kelleher said researchers will have better tools to potential to catch cancerous cells before they even begin to grow.

“Historically, the uterus has been under-studied. So how these diseases progress in females is not well understood,” Kelleher said. “So I think now there's more emphasis on trying to uncover these diseases at earlier states before they progress to more advanced stages.”

Kelleher said this is especially important right now because uterine cancer is one of the only forms of cancer with an increasing mortality rate - according to the American Cancer Society, the uterine cancer death rate rose by 1.5% each year from 2013 to 2022.

“This just tells you that the therapeutics and diagnostics aren't really keeping up with the disease, so there's a really big need to better understand the drivers of disease to offer more effective therapeutic options for women that may be impacted,” Kelleher said.

Additionally, Kelleher said more research is needed around how to diagnose endometrial diseases in general, not just cancer. Studies show that endometriosis, a condition in which abnormal tissue grows outside the uterus, can take years to diagnose due to a wider range of symptoms and gender bias.

The team used mice models to mimic cell pathways, and also created 3D organoids to act as human models using donated human cells. The study was led and authored primarily by Kelleher and MU Animal Sciences PhD Candidate Jason Rizo. Researchers from the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute and MU College of Animal Sciences also contributed to the study.

Anna Spidel is a health reporter for the KBIA Health & Wealth desk. A proud Michigander, Anna hails from Dexter, Michigan and received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University in 2022. Previously, she worked with member station Michigan Radio as an assistant producer on Stateside.
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