Author
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SIMMEN, FRANK - ACNC/UAMS |
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SIMMEN, ROSALIA - ACNC/UAMS |
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Submitted to: Endocrinology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2005 Publication Date: 2/10/2006 Citation: Simmen, F.A., Simmen, R.C. 2006. Orchestrating the menstrual cycle: discerning the music from the noise. Endocrinology. 147(3):1094-1096. Interpretive Summary: During the menstrual cycle, the female’s uterus undergoes a remarkable series of structural, cellular and biochemical changes that ultimately render it capable of receiving an embryo. In the absence of an embryo, the endometrium undergoes shedding and regeneration in preparation for another round of potential embryo implantation. The successive phases of endometrial tissue growth and remodeling occur in parallel with development of the embryo. Indeed, infertility largely arises as a consequence of developmental asynchrony between the uterus and the embryo. In this mini-review, we summarize what is known in this field, how new micro-array results are helping understand the relevant biology, and where the field may be headed in the next several years. Technical Abstract: During the menstrual cycle, the female’s uterus undergoes a remarkable series of structural, cellular and biochemical changes that ultimately render it capable of receiving an embryo. In the absence of an embryo, the endometrium undergoes shedding and regeneration in preparation for another round of potential embryo implantation. The successive phases of endometrial tissue growth and remodeling occur in close synchrony with development of the embryo. Indeed, infertility largely arises as a consequence of developmental asynchrony between the uterus and the embryo. In this mini-review, we summarize what is known in this field, how new micro-array results are helping understand the relevant biology, and where the field may be headed in the next several years. |
