The uterine secretome initiates growth of gynecologic tissues in ectopic locations: re-evaluating the evidence
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The origin of ectopic gynecologic lesions has been debated since 1927, when Sampson first proposed retrograde menstruation as the underlying cause of endometriosis. Reproduction in mammals is an unusually permissive process, enabling the implantation of tissue genetically distinct from the mother in which leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is known to be a pleiotropic master transcription factor affecting multiple gene pathways such as adhesion and immune tolerance. Herein we review the uterine secretome theory , and how the initial step in ectopic lesion development is implantation. The uterine secretome, which typically cycles every 28–35 days to prepare the endometrium for potential embryo implantation and does so for decades, can be hijacked by free floating cells to implant ectopically when pregnancy does not occur. This review will focus on this emerging theory and its ability to reconcile longstanding gaps in our understanding of both benign and malignant ectopic lesion initiation.
Source: Pathology & Oncology Research
Authors: Jan Sunde, K. A. Pennington
Institution: Baylor College of Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
OpenAlex ID: W7134849665