Roles of bone morphogenetic proteins in endometrial remodeling during the human menstrual cycle and pregnancy

AbstractBACKGROUNDDuring the human menstrual cycle and pregnancy, the endometrium undergoes a series of dynamic remodeling processes to adapt to physiological changes. Insufficient endometrial remodeling, characterized by inadequate endometrial proliferation, decidualization and spiral artery remodeling, is associated with infertility, endometriosis, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia and miscarriage. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), a subset of the transforming growth factor- β (TGF-β) superfamily, are multifunctional cytokines that regulate diverse cellular activities, such as differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix synthesis, are now understood as integral to multiple reproductive processes in women. Investigations using human biological s amples have shown that BMPs are essential for regulating human endometrial remodeling processes, including endometrial proliferation and decidualization.OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALEThis review summarizes our current knowledge on the known pathophysiological roles of BMPs and their underlying molecular mechanisms in regulating human endometrial proliferation and decidualization, with the goal of promoting the development of innovative strategies for diagnosing, treating and preventing infertility and adverse pregnancy complications associated with dysregulated human endometrial remodeling.SEARCH METHODSA literature search for original articles published up t...
Source: Human Reproduction Update - Category: OBGYN Source Type: research