PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study reveals the 3D structure of human uterine endometrium and adenomyosis tissue

Study reveals the 3D structure of human uterine endometrium and adenomyosis tissue
2021-04-13
(Press-News.org) Niigata, Japan- New insights into the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of the human uterine endometrium could advance our understanding of the mechanisms of endometrial regeneration and fertilized egg implantation while clarifying the pathogenesis of menstrual disorders, infertility and endometrium-related diseases such as adenomyosis, endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer.

The endometrial glands are comprised of complicated winding and branching structures, and conventional 2D imaging techniques have been unable to adequately assess their shape. This limitation has prevented elucidation of the mechanisms of endometrial regeneration during the menstrual cycle and the location of endometrial progenitor cells. Recent developments in 3D tissue-clearing imaging allowed researchers from Niigata University to explore the endometrial structure in greater depth.

The team, led by Prof. Takayuki Enomoto, Dr. Kosuke Yoshihara and Dr. Manako Yamaguchi of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, implemented an updated clear, unobstructed brain/body imaging cocktail and computational analysis (CUBIC) protocol with fluorescent microscopy to obtain 3D full thickness images of the human uterine endometrium. As expected, the 3D tissue analysis revealed unique morphologies that had not been previously detected by 2D histological observation. Human endometrial glands were discovered to form a complex plexus network in the stratum basalis referred to as the 'rhizome' structure. Named after the rhizomatous plant's stems, the rhizome describes the horizontally expanding plexus morphology of the basal glands. Furthermore, some glands share the rhizome and rise toward the luminal epithelium. Interestingly, these structural features were detected in all samples, regardless of age or menstrual cycle phase, which suggests they are basic components of the normal human endometrium.

After observing the normal structure of the uterine endometrium, the researchers expanded their analysis to clarify the 3D structure of adenomyotic lesions. Adenomyosis is a benign condition characterized by the atypical presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium, or the muscular walls of the uterus. Prior to this study, various hypotheses regarding the etiology of adenomyosis existed, including endometrial invasion, endometriotic invasion and de novo metaplasia. Reconstituted 3D images verified the endometrium breaches the myometrium, where these aberrant structures lengthen to form fine glands that intricately branch and extend along the large blood vessels of the uterus, analogous to an ant colony.

The human endometrium is a dynamic tissue that exerts morphological and functional changes on a monthly basis in response to ovarian hormones. This highly regenerative tissue is involved in menstruation and implantation of the fertilized egg, giving it a central role in women's reproductive health. Unfortunately, the regenerative nature of the endometrial glands can encourage the development and progression of 'endometrium-related diseases', such as adenomyosis, endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer. The pathogenesis of endometrium-related conditions remains unclear, which has hindered the development of effective preventative measures and therapeutic strategies.

In their previous 2018 genomic study, the investigators sought to provide insight into the origins of endometriosis and elucidate associated molecular characteristics. They found that the genes most recurrently mutated in endometriosis-associated ovarian cancers were also frequently mutated in endometriotic epithelium, and, surprisingly, in normal uterine endometrial glands. These novel findings led to the hypothesis that clonal genomic alternations may change the structure of endometrial glands and increase susceptibility to endometrium-related diseases. Establishing the 3D morphology of normal uterine endometrium was therefore essential to testing this model and ultimately sparked this investigation.

As pointed out by principal investigator Prof. Enomoto "Our 3D imaging established the baseline for the 3D structure of human endometrial glands and adenomyotic lesions. These findings dynamically change the concept of human uterine endometrium."

While extensive research in the field of obstetrics and gynecology is required to identify the mechanisms of normal endometrium function and related diseases, this study can provide novel insight into the 2D shape of the human endometrial glands for the first time in nearly one hundred years along with the contemporary 3D model of the tissue. The potential application of this work is not lost on Prof. Enomoto "The 3D representation of the human endometrium will lead to a better understanding of the human endometrium in various fields, including histology, pathology, pathophysiology, reproduction and oncology."

INFORMATION:


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Study reveals the 3D structure of human uterine endometrium and adenomyosis tissue

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

ETRI develops a haptic film activated by LEDs

ETRI develops a haptic film activated by LEDs
2021-04-13
A Korean research team succeeded in developing a technology generating various vibration using LED light signals. The technology allows various tactile sensations by area and reduction in size by considerably lowering the cost of light source, and these are expected to be applied to many industries including automobile and electronics. The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, or ETRI for short, announced that it succeeded in developing a technology to implement various vibrations using LED. This technology was widely recognized as published on the cover of the February 10 issue of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces1), a leading ...

Researchers' work will help the pipeline industry limit the destructive power of bubbles

2021-04-13
Researchers have answered key questions to help prevent damage and improve the safety of hydraulic systems used for pipelines, water turbines and other applications. The work, led by engineers at the University of Waterloo, investigates a phenomenon known as cavitation, or the formation and collapse of destructive gas-filled bubbles resulting from rapid pressure changes in liquids. Cavitation is behind a well-known party trick that involves shattering the bottom of a liquid-filled bottle by striking its open top with the palm of your hand. "The growth and collapse of cavitation bubbles are fascinating," said  Zhao Pan, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering who led the research. ...

E-cigarettes with a cigarette-like level of nicotine are effective in reducing smoking

2021-04-13
RICHMOND, Va. (April 12, 2021) -- E-cigarettes that deliver a cigarette-like amount of nicotine are associated with reduced smoking and reduced exposure to the major tobacco-related pulmonary carcinogen, NNAL, even with concurrent smoking, according to a new study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The study, which will be published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal, provides new and important information for smokers who may be trying to use e-cigarettes as a means to cut down on their smoking habit and lower their exposure to harmful toxicants. "[We found] e-cigarettes with nicotine delivery like a combustible cigarette were effective in helping reduce ...

Deep Learning model developed at UHN to maximize lifespan after liver transplant 

2021-04-13
Toronto (April 12, 2021) - Researchers from University Health Network have developed and validated an innovative deep learning model to predict a patient's long-term outcome after receiving a liver transplant. First of its kind in the field of Transplantation, this model is the result from a collaboration between the Ajmera Transplant Centre and Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. The study, published in Lancet Digital Health, shows it can significantly improve long-term survival and quality of life for liver transplant recipients. "Historically, we have seen good advances in one-year post-transplant outcomes, but survival in the longer term hasn't significantly improved in the past decades," explains Dr. Mamatha Bhat, a hepatologist with the Ajmera Transplant Centre ...

Convenience over reputation: Study looks at how older adults pick a doctor

Convenience over reputation: Study looks at how older adults pick a doctor
2021-04-13
Convenience and access win out over reputation when people over 50 look for a doctor for themselves, a new study finds. But online ratings and reviews of physicians play an important role, and should receive attention from providers and policymakers, the researchers say. About 20% of older adults called such ratings very important to them, but 43% said they had checked such reviews in the past for physicians they were considering for themselves. Still, factors like insurance acceptance, appointment availability, location and hours won out over reputational information, although about 40% said a recommendation from another physician was very important to them. Recommendations from family and friends ...

Ocean bacteria release carbon into the atmosphere

Ocean bacteria release carbon into the atmosphere
2021-04-12
A team led by University of Minnesota researchers has discovered that deep-sea bacteria dissolve carbon-containing rocks, releasing excess carbon into the ocean and atmosphere. The findings will allow scientists to better estimate the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, a main driver of global warming. The study is published in END ...

Spotting cows from space

2021-04-12
Cows don't seem to have a whole lot going on most of the time. They're raised to spend their days grazing in the field, raised for the purpose of providing milk or meat, or producing more cows. So when students in UC Santa Barbara ecologist Doug McCauley's lab found themselves staring intently at satellite image upon image of bovine herds at Point Reyes National Seashore, it was funny, in a "Far Side" kind of way. "There were about 10 undergrads involved in the project, spotting cows from space -- not your typical student research and always amusing to see in the ...

Scientists watch 2D puddles of electrons emerge in a 3D superconducting material

Scientists watch 2D puddles of electrons emerge in a 3D superconducting material
2021-04-12
Creating a two-dimensional material, just a few atoms thick, is often an arduous process requiring sophisticated equipment. So scientists were surprised to see 2D puddles emerge inside a three-dimensional superconductor - a material that allows electrons to travel with 100% efficiency and zero resistance - with no prompting. Within those puddles, superconducting electrons acted as if they were confined inside an incredibly thin, sheet-like plane, a situation that requires them to somehow cross over to another dimension, where different rules of quantum physics apply. "This is a tantalizing example of emergent behavior, which is often difficult or impossible to replicate by trying to engineer it from scratch," said Hari Manoharan, a professor at Stanford University and investigator ...

Research suggests SEC's increasing focus on terrorism may limit financial oversight

Research suggests SECs increasing focus on terrorism may limit financial oversight
2021-04-12
When Iranian authorities started seizing Barbie dolls from Tehran toy shops in 2012, Mattel Inc. execs faced concerns not only about the dolls' attire -- miniskirts and swimsuits considered immodest in an Islamic country -- but also questions from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about Mattel's ties to Iran. U.S. businesses are restricted from business in Iran, which U.S. authorities have designated a state sponsor of terrorism (SST). The number of SEC inquiries about potential terrorist ties has grown substantially in recent years, and according to new research from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, the increase could reduce the quality of the agency's financial reporting oversight. "Comments on terrorism are getting to a critical level of importance ...

Plastic planet: Tracking pervasive microplastics across the globe

Plastic planet: Tracking pervasive microplastics across the globe
2021-04-12
Really big systems, like ocean currents and weather, work on really big scales. And so too does your plastic waste, according to new research from Janice Brahney from the Department of Watershed Sciences. The plastic straw you discarded in 1980 hasn't disappeared; it has fragmented into pieces too small to see, and is cycling through the atmosphere, infiltrating soil, ocean waters and air. Microplastics are so pervasive that they now affect how plants grow, waft through the air we breathe, and permeate distant ecosystems. They can be found in places as varied as the human bloodstream to ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Andrew Siemion to receive the SETI Institute’s 2024 Drake Award

New study shows how the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus enters our cells

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy proves effective for locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma

Study flips treatment paradigm in bilateral Wilms tumor, shows resistance to chemotherapy may point toward favorable outcomes

Doctors received approximately $12.1 billion from drug and device makers between 2013-2022

Discovery suggests new strategy against follicular lymphoma

Making the future too bright: how wishful thinking can point us in the wrong direction

Ochsner Health named to Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces 2024 for Job Starters

Three-year study of young stars with NASA’s Hubble enters new chapter

North Carolina takes the lead in PFAs research with Collaboratory’s $3 million investment to expand the state’s research capacity

Is it the school, or the students?

Exploring the relationship between HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and the incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis – findings from Denmark

Music: Song lyrics have become simpler and more repetitive since 1980

Environment: More than half of Colorado River’s water used to irrigate crops

When inequality is more than “skin-deep”: Social status leaves traces in the epigenome of spotted hyenas in Tanzania

Study explores the future of at-home cancer treatment

First performance standards published to measure the effectiveness of lifestyle medicine treatments

To keep volunteers, connect them

Suppressing boredom at work hurts future productivity, study shows

Older brain cells linger unexpectedly before their death

Clear shift in arterial diseases in diabetes

Celebrating half a century of pioneering excellence: EBMT marks its 50th anniversary

Ancient DNA reveals the appearance of a 6th century Chinese emperor

DNA study IDs descendants of George Washington from unmarked remains, findings to aid service member IDs going back to World War II

Familial Alzheimer’s disease transferred via bone marrow transplant in mice

Perspectives of oncologists on the ethical implications of using AI for cancer care

Industry payments to US physicians by specialty and product type

Andrew E. Place, MD, PhD appointed as Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Vice President, Pediatric Chief Medical Officer

COVID-19 antibody discovery could explain long COVID

Wild plants face viral surprise

[Press-News.org] Study reveals the 3D structure of human uterine endometrium and adenomyosis tissue