Borrowing the Wheel: Potential Insights for Endometriosis Treatment From Estrogen-Dependent Breast Cancer Research

Abstract

Ectopic endometrial tissue is the source of the disease endometriosis and is able to establish itself by unknown mechanisms and maintain itself through endogenous estrogen production and progesterone resistance, ignoring the normal proliferative and apoptotic cues of the menstrual cycle. In both of these regards, it is similar to estrogen-dependent breast cancer, a disease that has been the subject of considerably more research. Therefore, it would be important to draw on this research for cell-type specific therapeutics that will not inhibit other bodily processes as aromatase inhibitors and hormonal suppression would. We found a few promising developments in estrogen-dependent breast cancer inhibitor development, such as 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibitors and COX-2 scaffolded proteins that target apoptotic pathways. However, more research on etiology and the distinctions between ectopic endometrial tissue and the other tissues in the body will be absolutely necessary to developing endometriosis-specific inhibitors.