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Two well-known gene mutations work in tandem to allow endometrial cells, the cells that line the uterus, to migrate outside of the organ, a phenomenon characteristic of diseases such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer, according to a study in mice and human tissue published August 7 in Nature Communications.
It’s been known for years that the two genes, ARID1A and PIK3CA, are associated with the diseases, but until now, it was unclear how. Endometriosis—a painful condition caused by endometrial tissue growing on organs outside of the uterus—and endometrial cancers are “intimately linked,” says Ronald Chandler, a reproductive biologist at Michigan State University and the senior author of the study. In both cases, endometrial cells migrate away from their usual position lining the uterine epithelium.
“Women with endometriosis are at higher risk for diseases such as endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer,” Chandler says. “But what we’ve found ...
