University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Principal Investigator:
Jennifer Knudtson, MD., University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Summary
Our study will examine ER-β and ER-α expression in eutopic and ectopic menstrual endometrial epithelial (EECs) and stromal cells (ESCs) from women with endometriosis and eutopic endometrium from women without endometriosis. These findings will be correlated with the EECs/ESCs adherence to PMCs.7 This study will be novel in that we propose to use menstrual EECs/ESCs for our in vitro experiments. The goal of our study is to further characterize the two different estrogen receptors’ cell-specific role in the development of the early endometriotic lesion.
These studies will have a significant impact on our understanding of the pathogenesis of endometriosis and may lead to improved treatments for endometriosis by delineating ER-β and ER-α’s involvement.
Bio
Jennifer F Knudtson, MD, is an assistant professor in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio. Her research focuses on etiologies of the early endometriotic lesion. She received the Society for Reproductive Investigation’s New Investigator Award in 2015. She also was chosen as a scholar for UT Health’s Institute for the Integration of Medicine and Science, Mentored Research Career Development (KL2) Program in Clinical and Translational Science. She has received the ASRM New Investigator Grant and Vivere Health Scientific Advisory Board Grant. Her other research interests include fertility preservation and infertility treatment outcomes.
