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Researchers identify genetic cause of endometriosis and potential drug target

General Research

Endometriosis is a painful, chronic condition in which tissue from the uterus inappropriately grows outside the uterus.

DNA Helix graphic

Current treatments are limited and include surgery and hormone therapy, which can involve unwanted side effects. New research conducted by the University of Oxford, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Bayer AG, offers new insight into how to treat this debilitating disease.

The researchers performed genetic analyses of humans and rhesus macaques to identify a specific gene, NPSR1, that increases risk of suffering from endometriosis. The results reveal a potential new nonhormonal drug target that may lead to improved therapy. Their results are published in Science Translational Medicine.

Read the full story on the University of Oxford website

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