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Human Reproduction Update Advance Access first published online on September 7, 2006
This version published online on September 15, 2006
Human Reproduction Update, doi:10.1093/humupd/dml045
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org The online version of this article has been published under an open access model. Users are entitled to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the open access version of this article for non-commercial purposes provided that: the original authorship is properly and fully attributed; the Journal and Oxford University Press are attributed as the original place of publication with the correct citation details given; if an article is subsequently reproduced or disseminated not in its entirety but only in part or as a derivative work this must be clearly indicated. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received May 31, 2006
Revised July 31, 2006
Accepted August 15, 2006

Article

Uterine stem cells: What is the evidence?

C.E. Gargett 1 *

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University; Centre for Women’s Health Research, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
C.E. Gargett, E-mail: caroline.gargett{at}med.monash.edu.au


  Abstract

The mucosal lining (endometrium) of the human uterus undergoes cyclical processes of regeneration, differentiation and shedding as part of the menstrual cycle. Endometrial regeneration also follows parturition, almost complete resection and in post-menopausal women taking estrogen replacement therapy. In non-menstruating species, there are cycles of endometrial growth and apoptosis rather than physical shedding. The concept that endometrial stem/progenitor cells are responsible for the remarkable regenerative capacity of endometrium was proposed many years ago. However, attempts to isolate, characterize and locate endometrial stem cells have only been undertaken in the last few years as experimental approaches to identify adult stem/progenitor cells in other tissues have been developed. Adult stem cells are defined by their functional properties rather than by marker expression. Evidence for the existence of adult stem/progenitor cells in human and mouse endometrium is now emerging because functional stem cell assays are being applied to uterine cells and tissues. These fundamental studies on endometrial stem/progenitor cells will provide new insights into the pathophysiology of various gynaecological disorders associated with abnormal endometrial proliferation, including endometrial cancer, endometrial hyperplasia, endometriosis and adenomyosis.

Keywords: adult stem cells/endometrium/human/mouse/uterus.

This is a new version of this article as it has now become Open Access.


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