Gene research finds chromosomes crucial to a woman’s risk of developing endometriosis. Could better diagnosis and treatment be on the way?
Clues as to why endometriosis occurs have been found by researchers
Clues as to why endometriosis develops may have been identified, reports the BBC. Researchers say they have found two variations in DNA that increase the risk of developing the condition.
The researchers identified chromosome 1 and chromosome 7 as being crucial players. Chromosome 1 is close to a gene that’s significant for hormone metabolism and the development of your reproductive tract. Chromosome 7 is believed to play a part in regulating genes that develop your womb and your womb lining.
"Our study is a breakthrough because it provides the first strong evidence that variations in DNA make some women more likely to develop endometriosis," said University of Oxford’s Dr Krina Zondervan, lead author of the study, "We now need to understand the effect of these variations on cells and molecules in the body."
The researchers hope their work could lead to better diagnosis and treatments.
"We have great confidence that the results of this study will help towards developing less invasive methods of diagnosis and more effective treatments for endometriosis," said Dr Stephen Kennedy, from Oxford’s Nuffield department of obstetrics and gynaecology and senior author of the study.
The study, called the Nature Genetics Study, involved researchers comparing the genomes of 5,500 women with endometriosis from the UK, USA and Australia with the genomes of 10,000 volunteers without the condition.
