Researchers at Capital Medical University have established innovative models to study endometrial infections, focusing on the role of Escherichia coli.
Endometritis, characterized by inflammation of the endometrium, poses significant challenges for women's reproductive health, often resulting in complications such as infertility and pregnancy loss. The recent study published on March 12, 2025, compares different infection models to understand how bacteria invade and affect endometrial tissues.
Organoid technology, which cultivates three-dimensional structures from endometrial epithelial cells, enables scientists to closely mimic the human endometrium. These organoids are formed by isolaging endometrial cells from premenopausal women and embedding them within Matrigel, allowing them to self-organize and grow.
According to the study, approximately 93% of organoids developed to sizes greater than 100 micrometers within the first week of culture. After treatment with sex hormones, gene expression levels related to the estrogen and progesterone receptors significantly increased, indicating the organoids' hormone responsiveness.
Three infection methods were evaluated: microinjection, direct infection, and air-liquid interface (ALI) models. Microinjection allows for precise bacterial delivery but is technically complex and may not fully replicate natural infection. The ALI model, widely recognized for maintaining cell polarity, still faced challenges with direct visualization and extended culture times.
The direct infection model, on the other hand, stands out as the most user-friendly and effective. By removing Matrigel and exposing the organoids to bacteria, researchers observed heightened inflammatory responses and real-time monitoring of cell dynamics. This method proved effective for studying host-pathogen interactions, allowing for continuous observation of how Escherichia coli interacts with endometrial tissues.
The study indicates significant increases in specific inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-8, post-infection, with the direct infection model exhibiting the strongest responses. Advancements like these offer potential for developing targeted therapies against endometrial infections.
The insights obtained from this comparative analysis could also pave the way for discovering new therapeutic strategies aimed at controlling excessive inflammation and improving fertility outcomes for women suffering from chronic endometrial infections.
Understanding the nuances of these interactions is imperative as chronic infections can lead to long-lasting damage to the endometrial tissue, impacting fertility and reproductive success. Future studies should focus on longitudinal investigations to assess how prolonged pathogen exposure affects endometrial structure and function.