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MEN-ENDO: Menstrual Stem Cells in Endometriosis

5 maggio 2026 aggiornato da: Francisco Algaba Chueca

Study of the Role of Menstrual Blood-derived Stem Cells and the Immune Environment in Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by the presence of endometrium-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. It is estimated to affect approximately 10% of women of reproductive age and it is associated with chronic pelvic pain and infertility, among other symptoms.

Endometriosis involves complex changes in the body's cells and immune response. For this reason, the goal of this observational study is to characterize the functional, molecular, and immunological alterations in menstrual blood-derived stem cells (MenSCs) and differentiated decidual stromal cells in women with endometriosis; to validate these findings in endometrial tissue and endometriomas; and to establish their correlation with clinical parameters, with the aim of identifying key pathogenic mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Are there functional and molecular changes in MenSCs from patients with endometriosis compared to healthy volunteers?
  • Are there any variations in the immune properties of MenSCs throughout the menstrual bleeding period in patients with endometriosis compared to healthy volunteers?
  • Are these changes also present in endometrial tissue and endometrioma samples?
  • Can these changes be correlated with clinical parameters in patients with endometriosis?
  • Can MenSCs serve as a potential therapeutic target for endometriosis?

Some participants will be asked to provide menstrual blood on a single day, while others will provide samples during the first five days of menstruation. Additionally, all participants will answer questionnaires about their diet, physical activity, stress, and pain levels. Therefore, the study does not involve the evaluation of a specific intervention on the participants.

The results will enable the identification of key altered mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets, thereby contributing to the development of more effective strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Panoramica dello studio

Tipo di studio

Osservativo

Iscrizione (Stimato)

40

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Contatto studio

Backup dei contatti dello studio

Luoghi di studio

    • Tarragona
      • Reus, Tarragona, Spagna, 43201
        • Attivo, non reclutante
        • Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut
      • Tarragona, Tarragona, Spagna, 43005

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

  • Adulto

Accetta volontari sani

Metodo di campionamento

Campione non probabilistico

Popolazione di studio

Our study population consists of 40 women aged between 18 and 45, 20 of whom have been diagnosed with endometriosis and 20 of whom are healthy volunteers. Participants will be recruited from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII in Tarragona (Spain) during routine gynecological check-ups. Healthy volunteers will be selected through individual matching with participants in the study group, considering relevant demographic and clinical variables such as age and ethnic group.

In addition, a sub-cohort of 10 women (5 per study group) will be selected from the main cohort to study in greater detail the intra-menstrual variations in the immunomodulatory properties of MenSCs. This sub-cohort will include participants who agree to provide menstrual blood samples from days 1 to 5 (both inclusive) to analyze dynamic changes in the cells obtained, while maintaining the same general inclusion and exclusion criteria as in the main study.

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18-45 years.
  • Endometriosis group: Women with clinical and/or ecographical diagnostic of endometriosis.
  • Control group: Women with the endometriosis diagnosis.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • <18 years or >45 years.
  • Pregnancy or lactation.
  • Diagnosis of prior chronic pelvic inflammatory or autoimmune disease.
  • History of active gynecological cancer.
  • Positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or human papillomavirus (HPV).
  • Hormonal therapy use in the previous 3 months.
  • Use of immunosuppressants or corticosteroids in the previous 3 months.
  • Systemic antibiotics use in the previous 3 months.
  • Insufficient menstrual flow to allow the MenSCs isolation.

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

Coorti e interventi

Gruppo / Coorte
Intervento / Trattamento
Endometriosis
Menstrual-blood derived stem cells will be isolated from the menstrual blood of patients with endometriosis and healthy volunteers to be characterized in vitro.

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
MenSCs proliferation rate
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Evaluation of the expansion capacity of MenSCs from endometriosis patients vs. healthy controls using the MTT assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Phenotypic characterization of MenSCs
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Evaluation of surface marker expression using flow cytometry to determine the phenotype of MenSCs from endometriosis patients and healthy controls.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).
MenSC chemotaxis
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Assessment of the number of T-lymphocytes and monocytes capable of migrating through a transwell membrane under the stimuli of conditioned media from MenSCs obtained from endometriosis patients and healthy controls.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
MenSC invasion capacity
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Assessment of the number of MenSCs from endometriosis patients vs. healthy controls capable of degrading a Matrigel on a transwell membrane and migrating toward a chemoattractant.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Multilineage capacity of MenSCs
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
The differentiation potential of MenSCs from endometriosis patients vs. healthy controls towards osteocytes, chondrocytes and adipocytes will be assessed by using specific media.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Decidualitzation response to progesterone of the decidual cells differentiated from MenSCs from endometriosis patients and healthy volunteers
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
MenSCs will be cultured in presence of 8-Br-cAMP during 14 days, and the assessment of morphology and expression of decidual markers will be performed by RT-qPCR and ELISA assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Apoptosis resistance assessment of the decidual cells differentiated from MenSCs from endometriosis patients and healthy volunteers
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Apoptosis resistance will be evaluated by Annexin V/PI flow cytometry following induction by TNFα. Additionally, the expression of key apoptotic mediators will be quantified using RT-qPCR and Western blot.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Cytokine profile of the secretome of MenSCs from endometriosis patients and healthy volunteers and their differentiated decidual cells.
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
The conditioned media will be assessed to determine the cytokines secreted using an ELISA assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Cytokine profile of the endometrial and endometrioma tissues
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
The levels of cytokines in the conditioned media from cultured explants will be assessed by ELISA assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Cytokine profile of the secretome of immune cells populations
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
The levels of cytokines in the conditioned media from lymphocytes and macrophages will be assessed by ELISA assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Cytokine profile of the peripheral blood plasma
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
The levels of cytokines in peripheral blood plasma from endometriosis patients and healthy volunteers will be determined by ELISA assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Gene expression profile of MenSCs from endometriosis patients and healthy volunteers and their differentiated decidual cells
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Total RNA expression of targeted genes will be analyzed by RT-qPCR.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Gene expression profile of the endometrial and endometrioma tissues
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Total RNA expression of targeted genes will be analyzed by RT-qPCR.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Gene expression profile of the immune cells populations
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Total RNA expression of targeted genes will be analyzed by RT-qPCR.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Protein expression of MenSCs from endometriosis patients and healthy volunteers and their differentiated decidual cells
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Analysis of the protein expression profile via Western Blot.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Protein expression in endometrial and endometrioma tissues
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Analysis of the protein expression profile via Western Blot.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Protein expression in immune cells populations
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Analysis of the protein expression profile via Western Blot.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
T cells activation
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
T cells will be exposed to conditioned media from MenSCs from healthy volunteers and endometriosis patients. Afterwards, the levels of IL-10 and IFNy will be determined by ELISA assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
T cells proliferation rate
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
T cells will be exposed to conditioned media from MenSCs from healthy volunteers and endometriosis patients. Afterwards, their proliferative capacity will be assessed by MTT assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Cytokine secretion profile of macrophages
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
The levels of cytokines in the supernatant of polarized macrophages after incubation with MenSC-derived conditioned media from endometriosis patients and healthy volunteers will be determined by ELISA assay.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Gene expression profile of macrophages
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Total RNA expression of targeted genes will be analyzed by RT-qPCR.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Protein expression of macrophages
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Analysis of the protein expression profile via Western Blot.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Phagocytic capacity of macrophages
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Assessment of the macrophages' ability to engulf fluorescently labeled apoptotic bodies from MenSCs via flux cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Angiogenic potential of macrophages conditioned media
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Evaluation of the ability of macrophage-derived conditioned media to induce tube formation (Matrigel) in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs).
Through study completion (average of 3 years)
Exploration of targeted interventions to reverse the pathological phenotype of MenSCs and macrophages derived from menstrual blood.
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Signaling pathways and genes involved in the altered phenotype will be blocked and silenced, respectively, to evaluate if these actions reverse the cellular response to the levels of the healthy volunteers' cells.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).
Correlation of cellular, tissue and molecular findings with patients' clinical parameters.
Lasso di tempo: Through study completion (average of 3 years).
The associations among the functional and immunological properties of MenSCs and macrophages, clinical parameters and dietary and behavioral habits will be stablished. These clinical parameters include endometriosis stage, pain and fertility status, and the extent and localization of the endometriosis foci.
Through study completion (average of 3 years).

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Stimato)

1 aprile 2026

Completamento primario (Stimato)

1 ottobre 2027

Completamento dello studio (Stimato)

1 aprile 2028

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

13 aprile 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

5 maggio 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

11 maggio 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

11 maggio 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

5 maggio 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 maggio 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .

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