Current Research

The long-term goal of our research group is to elucidate the implication of pro-inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines/chemokines in

A: human reproductive tract tissues in normal and disease status (leiomyoma, endometriosis and dysfunctional uterine bleeding) and

B: peritoneal tissue repair and adhesion formation and prevention.

A team of investigators works on elucidating the menstrual cycle dependent expression of specific cytokines/chemokines and their receptors in normal uterine tissues, and in women with leiomyomas and endometriosis undergo hormone therapy (i.e. GnRHa) as part of their medical management and in progesterone only contraceptive users experiencing irregular bleeding. Using in vitro cell culture models we are investigating the regulation of these genes by ovarian steroids, GnRHa, SERM and SPRM, and identify signal transduction pathways activated by their receptors and cross-talk with cytokine/chemokine receptors signaling, more specifically transforming growth factors beta (TGF-b) and downstream gene expression whose products influence the outcome of these abnormalities.

Another team studies gene and microRNA expression profiling, antisense oligonucleotides, viral vectors and SiRNA technology and proteomic to identify specific genes and their products that may be responsible for pathogenesis of leiomyomas, endometriosis, and dysfunctional uterine bleeding and gene silencing are used as an alternative tool for medical management of these disorders as compared to GnRHa, SERM and SPRM.

With regard to peritoneal adhesion formation, surgically-induced adhesion models in rodents are used to identify the molecular marker for this pathological condition. Although a majority of adhesions are formed following abdominal surgery, they can be developed due to intra-abdominal infection, pelvic inflammatory diseases and endometriosis. Particular attention is being paid to growth factors such as TGF-b since it is as key profibrotic cytokine directly implicated in scar tissue formation in various tissues throughout the body. Investigations are also underway to elucidate the identity of several novel genes discovered in our laboratory using microarray technologies, involving adhesions. These genes or their products may serve as a marker for early detection of adhesion formation and identify individuals how are prone to form scars.