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Epigenetics plays an important role in the development of many metabolic diseases and since these alternations to the underlying DNA are reversible, restoring the DNA to normal provides opportunities for developing pharmacotherapies for many metabolic diseases.
Summary
Although endometriosis is a common disease affecting up to 15% of women of reproductive age, the mechanisms underlying the disease are not fully understood. Retrograde menstruation is a widely accepted cause of endometriosis. However, not all women who experience retrograde menstruation develop endometriosis, suggesting that other factors might contribute to its development. A recent study demonstrated a pathogenic role of Fusobacterium in the formation of ovarian endometriosis. In a cohort of women, 64% of patients with endometriosis but less than 10% of controls were found to have Fusobacterium infiltration in the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). This data supports an additional mechanism for the pathogenesis of endometriosis via Fusobacterium infection and suggests that eradication of this bacterium could be an approach to treat endometriosis
Summary
At mid-cycle, uterine contractions are predominantly cervical-fundal (from the bottom of the uterus to the top), specifically toward the fallopian tubes. The amplitude and frequency of the contractions increase significantly as ovulation approaches. There is evidence that this facilitates sperm ascension towards the distal (far) end of the fallopian tubes, where fertilization occurs. Women with endometriosis display marked uterine hyperperistalsis that differs significantly from the contractions of women without endometriosis. At mid-cycle, uterine contractions in women with endometriosis became dysperistaltic (abnormal), arrhythmic, and convulsive, while in controls, peristalsis continues to show long and regular cervical-fundal (normal) contractions. This may explain the high incidence of infertility even in women with only mild endometriosis.