子宫内膜干细胞研究进展

Progress in the Study of Endometrial Stem Cells

子宫内膜干细胞是一种成体干细胞,具有自我更新、多向分化和高度增殖的潜能。目前大量研究已证实子宫内膜中存在干细胞样细胞,从而使子宫内膜具有很强的再生能力;同时,研究还显示子宫内膜干细胞的功能和生存环境异常可能与子宫内膜异位症、子宫内膜癌等妇科疾病有关。虽然子宫内膜干细胞的生物学特性和功能仍需进一步的研究来阐述和证实,但其子宫内膜再生和分化为其他组织的潜能已得到越来越多的关注,并可能成为子宫内膜过薄和内膜病变患者进行内膜修复替代治疗的手段;同时可为子宫内膜异位症、子宫内膜癌等提供新的研究思路。

The functional layer of the human endometrium is a highly regenerative tissue undergoing monthly cycles of growth, differentiation and shedding during a menstrual cycle under the influence of hormones. This dramatic regeneration capacity showed that adult stem cells reside in the basal layer. Now it has become apparent that stem cells may reside in both functional and basal layers and their abnormal function their surrounding niche may be involved in the initiation and progression of gynaecological diseases such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer. Although more researches are needed to explain and confirm the biological characters and their functions, human endometrial stem cells have gained more and more attention in the field of endometrial regeneration and other tissues regenerating. Endometrial stem cell research may ultimately provide new therapies for disorders of thin dysfunctional endometrium and endometrial diseases and increase our understanding of endometriosis and endometrial cancer.