Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Division of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Biol Reprod. 2021 Feb 11;104(2):282-293. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa183.
The endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus that undergoes complex regeneration and differentiation during the human menstrual cycle. The process of endometrial shedding, regeneration, and differentiation is driven by ovarian steroid hormones and prepares the endometrium and intrauterine environment for embryo implantation and pregnancy establishment. Endometrial glands and their secretions are essential for pregnancy establishment, and cross talk between the glandular epithelium and stromal cells appears vital for decidualization and placental development. Despite being crucial, the biology of the human endometrium during pregnancy establishment and most of pregnancy is incomplete, given the ethical and practical limitations of obtaining and studying endometrium from pregnant women. As such, in vitro models of the human endometrium are required to fill significant gaps in understanding endometrial biology. This review is focused on the evolution and development of in vitro three-dimensional models of the human endometrium and provides insight into the challenges and promises of those models to improve women's reproductive health.
子宫内膜是子宫的内层，在人类月经周期中经历复杂的再生和分化。子宫内膜脱落、再生和分化的过程由卵巢类固醇激素驱动，为胚胎着床和妊娠建立做好准备。子宫内膜腺体及其分泌物对于妊娠建立至关重要，腺体上皮细胞和基质细胞之间的相互作用对于蜕膜化和胎盘发育似乎至关重要。尽管至关重要，但由于从孕妇中获取和研究子宫内膜的伦理和实际限制，妊娠建立和大多数妊娠期间人类子宫内膜的生物学仍然不完整。因此，需要体外子宫内膜模型来填补对子宫内膜生物学理解的重大空白。本综述重点介绍了人类子宫内膜体外三维模型的演变和发展，并深入了解这些模型改善女性生殖健康的挑战和前景。
