Differential gene expression in endometriosis and its impact on fertility disorders. An integrative therapeutic perspective of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Abstract

Endometriosis is a gynecological disease that affects approximately 10% of women and girls of reproductive age worldwide and is defined by the extrauterine growth of endometrial-like cells, causing chronic pain and infertility in up to 50% of women suffering from the disease.
Since the pathophysiology of endometriosis is multifactorial and shows a clear epigenetic dysregulation (mainly in methy- lation), a multidisciplinary approach to achieve an early diagnosis, and a coordinated treatment, can improve the patient’s reproductive prognosis. In this regard, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing recurrence and adverse reactions from hormonal treatment. In addition, recent studies are showing that TCM may be a good alternative as a therapeutic intervention targeting DNA methylation, due to its multi-target, action and components. Thus, this review questions how possible aberrant epigenetic marks in the endometrium of women with endometriosis can be significantly reversed after TCM treatment.

Based on the above, the main objective of this work is to determine whether there could be differences in endometrial tissue methylation before and after TCM therapy. In this way, the study of these possible changes could contribute to ex- plain the regulatory role of TCM homeostasis, and help to establish an integrative approach to infertility in endometrio- sis.