Research Description

The exceptional capacity of human endometrial tissue regeneration, that is renewed monthly and that can do it during all the life with an appropriate hormonal treatment, makes it a major tissue for the investigation of its population of somatic stem cells that up to now have not been described. The present project intends to identify, to locate, to characterize and to isolate this cell population of great interest for the understanding of the ometrial physiology and pathology. The obtainment of somatic stem cells offers a promising and excellent therapeutic power. The benefits that this project can generate in Regenerative Medicine, infertility-related diseases and, potentially in endometrial cancer are enormous for being one of the most innovative biotechnology tools that exist today. Recently, it has been suggested in different publications the somatic mother cells presence or progenitor cells in human endometrium and its implication in the reconstruction of this tissue, acting together with the molecular and cell factors cited previously ( Figure 1 suggests a possible location of endometrial stem cells in the human endometrium CME ). Prior results obtained from an animal model with the BrdU (Publication in Human Reproduction) permit us to conclude the somatic mother cells existence in the mouse endometrium (Figure 2). Currently we are employing the elaborate protocols by our investigator group for the detection On the flow cytometer of the Side Population (SP), undifferentiated population of cells already detected in other tissues as bone marrow by their ability to expel a vital dye (Hoechst 33342), both in endometrium of mouse and humans. This will permit to identify and to locate a population of cells undifferentiated cells present in these tissues. The results obtained up to now in the endometrial permit to identify a population of cells SP in human and in the stromal compartment as in the epitelial (Figure 3). From endometrial samples we obtain the two major cell types of human endometrium: the epitelio and the estroma. Once obtained the Side Population, cell suspensions isolated from epithelium and stroma were analyzed through molecular analysis and inmucitoquímicos being shown that the cells of the SP versus the NSP (odd-SP) of human endometrium express marker of differentiation and SP typical cell suggesting a possible enrichment of somatic stem cells. The activity telomerasa of the SP contained a characteristic intermediate boss among cells indiferenciadas (cells embryonic mother) and differentiated cells (endometrial cells), indicating again that this population of cells SP would be able to contain a madre somatic cell sub-population.. Beyond the cells from their differentiated SP in vitro by means of protocols already established to tissues from mesenchymal lineages as osteocytes and adipocytes, being shown thus its possible mesenchymal origin. Our team of investigation has also managed to reconstruct human endometrial glands through the subcutaneous injection of these cells SP candidates in immunodeficient mice (NOD-SCID) (Publication in Plos One). Part of this work developed in the human model has been rewarded in the Company of Gynecological Investigation (SGI) in 2009- The Wyeth President' s Presenter Award was established in 1996 and recognizes the 25 best abstracts or summaries of works (in 2009 from among 1056) presented in the SGI by researchers in the formation phase.

Posted Items

• Cervelló I, Martínez-Conejero JA, Horcajadas JA, Pellicer A, Simón C. 

  Identification, characterization and co-localization of label-retaining cell population in mouse endometrium with typical undifferentiated markers. Human Reproduction. 22(1): 1872-3128. (2007)

• Cervelló I, Simón C. 

  Somatic Stem cells in the endometrium. Reproductive Sciences. 16(2). (2009)

• Cervelló I, Gil-Sanchis C, Mas A, Simón C. 

  Current understanding of Endometrial Stem cells. Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Vol. 4(3): 1747-4108. (2009)

• Cervelló I, Gil-Sanchis C, Mas A, Delgado-Rosas F, Martínez-Conejero JA, Galán A, Martínez-Romero A, Martínez S, Navarro I, Ferro J, Horcajadas JA, Esteban FJ, O´Connor JE, Pellicer A, Simón C. 

  Human Endometrial Side Population cells exhibit genotypic, phenotypic and functional features of somatic stem cells. (2010,Plos One, accepted)

Books. Book Chapters and Monographs

• Irene Cervelló, Carlos Simón 

  “Células madre adultas en el endometrio”
  LIBRO: El endometrio humano. Desde la investigación a la clínica. Editorial Panamericana. Editores Carlos Simón y Antonio Pellicer. Pág 183-189. Editorial Medica Panamericana. 2009.

• Irene Cervelló, Carlos Simón 

  “Adult Stem cells in the Uterus”
  BOOK: Advances in Fertility Studies and Reproductive Medicine- IFFS 2007. Editorial Juta and Co Ltd, Belsins Healthcare. Cape Town, South Africa 2007. Páginas 161-166. (2009)

• Mónica Romeu, Irene Cervelló, María Sánchez, Antonio Pellicer y Carlos Simón 

  “Células madre adultas en el ovario. Una hipótesis atractiva.”
  BOOK: Cuadernos de Medicina Reproductiva. Nuevos Avances en Medicina Reproductiva. Volumen 12 Número 2, páginas 53-59. 2006. España. (2010)

• Irene Cervelló, Antonio Pellicer y Carlos Simón  

  “Células madre adultas en el útero”
  BOOK: Cuadernos de Medicina Reproductiva. Nuevos Avances en Medicina Reproductiva. Volumen 12 Número 2, páginas 73-78. 2006. España.

• Caroline Gargett, Irene Cervelló , Sonya Hubbard S y Carlos Simón 

  “Adult Stem Cells in the Human Endometrium”
  BOOK: Stem Cells in Human reproduction. Basic Science and Therapeutic potential. Second Edition. Páginas: 160-176. Informa Healthcare. 2009.