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We Don’t Understand Endometriosis. That’s A Problem.
Lack of research into this common disease is hurting the lives of millions.
In late 2021, my life was forever changed when I was finally diagnosed with endometriosis via laparoscopic surgery after spending the past two years incredibly sick for reasons doctors couldn’t understand.
Endo, as it’s often referred to, is a disease in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus are found in other places in the body. They attach to the the surrounding tissue, developing into endometriosis lesions that look like “cigarette burns”, which build blood vessel supplies and cause scar tissue and cement organs together. The lesions grow like cancer cells, feeding off a dysfunctional immune system response that fails to eliminate them.
We think endometriosis might be similar to autoimmune diseases— indeed, many endo patients also have or get diagnosed with one. But in other ways, endo is more similar to cancer. Researchers are even exploring how cancer drugs could treat the disease by preventing ectopic endometrial cell growth.
But why do these “stray” endometrial cells happen in the first place? Is it genetic and predetermined or does it happen throughout life? Why does the body’s immune system fail to destroy these cells?
