Promising discoveries could pave the way for a non-invasive stool test and a novel treatment for endometriosis, a distressing condition impacting nearly 200 million women globally.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and other partnering institutions have made exciting discoveries that may lead to a non-invasive stool test and a new treatment for endometriosis, which is a painful condition that impacts nearly 200 million women worldwide. These findings were published in the journal Med.
“Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it, such as on the intestines or the lining of the abdominal cavity. This can lead to symptoms like bleeding, pain, inflammation, and infertility,” explained Dr. Rama Kommagani, the corresponding author and an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Baylor. “Typically, it takes around seven years to correctly diagnose endometriosis, with many cases being initially misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal issues. This delay, along with the reliance on invasive testing and ineffective treatments, highlights the urgent need for improved management of endometriosis.”
“In our previous research with mice, we found that the microbiome – the diverse communities of bacteria living in the body – and their metabolites play a role in the worsening of endometriosis,” Kommagani noted. “This time, we focused on the microbiome’s influence on endometriosis by comparing the bacteria and metabolites in the stools of women with the condition to those of healthy women, and we identified significant differences.”
The results indicated that specific stool metabolites present in women with endometriosis might serve as the foundation for a non-invasive diagnostic test and a strategy to slow down the disease’s progression.
The team uncovered a distinctive combination of bacterial metabolites associated with endometriosis, including a metabolite called 4-hydroxyindole. “This compound is produced by beneficial bacteria but occurs in lower amounts in women with endometriosis compared to those without the condition,” said Dr. Chandni Talwar, the first author and a postdoctoral associate in Kommagani’s lab.
“These results are incredibly promising,” Talwar remarked. “Previous studies using animal models of the disease have highlighted specific bacterial metabolite patterns linked to endometriosis. Our study is the first to uncover a unique metabolite profile related to endometriosis in women, bringing us closer to a better understanding of the condition and potential avenues for its management.”
Additionally, extensive research indicated that administering 4-hydroxyindole to animal models of endometriosis successfully inhibited the onset and advancement of inflammation and pain associated with the condition.
“Interestingly, our findings may also be relevant to another ailment. The metabolite profile we discovered in endometriosis closely mirrors that seen in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hinting at intriguing links between the two conditions,” added Kommagani. “Our results underscore the involvement of the microbiome in both endometriosis and IBD.”
The researchers are committed to advancing the development of a non-invasive stool test for endometriosis and are conducting further studies to assess the safety and effectiveness of 4-hydroxyindole as a possible treatment for this condition.
Other contributors to this research include Goutham Venkata Naga Davuluri, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Cristian Coarfa, Sang Jun Han, Surabi Veeraragavan, Krishna Parsawar, Nagireddy Putluri, Kristi Hoffman, Patricia Jimenez, and Scott Biest. These authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, University of Arizona – Tucson, and Washington University School of Medicine – St. Louis.
This research was supported by grants from NIH/NICHD (R01HD102680, R01HD104813) and a Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society.
