Generations and generations of people have grown up believing that periods hurt. These writhing pains for several days each month are normal, and if you complain, you are weak. This is one of the reasons why endometriosis is underestimated for a very long time. Today, fortunately, the taboo around menstruation has changed somewhat and it is known that if the pain is severe, then this may be due to some reasons. undiagnosed disease. For this reason, little by little, the number of studies in this direction is increasing. An investigation with which many people are waiting to arrive endometriosis treatment like water in may
For this reason, a study that has just been published in Science Translational Medicine a group of scientists from Nagoya University in Japan is very hopeful. In it, its authors show that the use antibiotics against a certain genre bacteria It can be an effective treatment for endometriosis with far fewer side effects than conventional treatments.
It is true that antibiotics must be handled with care. But even so, the possibility of doing without contraceptives or surgery, which are commonly used to treat endometriosis, seems to be great news.
What is endometriosis?
He endometrium This is the inner lining of the uterus that thickens with each menstrual cycle to accommodate the embryo and, if the egg is not fertilized, is released during menstruation.
All this is normal. However, some people may develop patches of this endometrium. on the outside of the uterus or in other bodyyes, like ovaries. This causes a very painful inflammatory reaction, as well as heavy bleeding during menstruation and even infertility or pregnancy problems.
It is estimated that approximately one in ten women between the ages of 15 and 49 have endometriosis. However, the incidence may be even higher due to the underdiagnosis mentioned above.
Typically, treatment for endometriosis consists of administering contraceptives. The problem is that they can cause a lot of side effects and make pregnancy even more difficult in the long run. For this reason, these scholars Nagoya University They wanted to look for other options, considering bacteria of the genus Fusobacteria.
Very common genus of bacteria
In fact, bacteria of the genus Fusobacteria They are best known for being part of Plaque. They are also behind other diseases of the teeth and gums. But they are not limited to the oral cavity. They can also be found in other cavities, such as the vagina.
Indeed, many patients with bacterial vaginosis They are widely distributed Fusobacteria. In these cases, they can also be found in the uterus, so the scientists decided to analyze their role in endometriosis.
New treatment for endometriosis
The authors of this study focused on a possible microbiological component of endometriosis due to a previous finding. In particular, they saw that a protein called transgelin (TAGLN) was involved in the regulation of this gynecological disease. So they began to analyze their upstream and downstream regulation chain. That is, in the chain of events leading to the implementation of this regulation, they observed those that occur before (above) and after (below). The answer was upstream since they noticed that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) seemed to trigger TAGLN activation. TGF-β is known to be released macrophageswhich are one of the first components of the immune system to respond to infection.
Putting each link in its place means that there is infectious agent which provokes an immune response. This causes the presence of macrophages that release TGF-β. Further, it regulates the synthesis of TAGLN and, finally, contributes to the occurrence of endometriosis. If the first link breaks, the rest of the chain cannot be formed.
This could be the basis of a new treatment for endometriosis, but they needed to know what the infectious agent was. So they analyzed some of the microorganisms known to cause gynecological infections and eventually they noticed that Fusobacteria This was the key moment at the beginning of the chain.
It remained to be seen what would happen if the bacteria were attacked by antibiotics, so they ran mice experiments, with very good results. Those who received the antibiotic had far fewer areas of misplaced endometrium.
They are currently initiating the first steps of human clinical trials. If the results were the same, we would have a great option, since we would not have to use antibiotic throughout life, as is the case with contraceptives. The bacteria will only need to be attacked once or a few times. Of course, this would be great news for all those people who have been suffering from the disabling pain of endometriosis for years.
Source: Hiper Textual
