Open AccessH19 lnc RNA alters stromal cell growth via IGF signaling in the endometrium of women with endometriosis
Author(s) -
Ghazal Sanaz,
McKin Brett,
Zhou Jichun,
Mueller Martin,
Men Yi,
Yang Lihua,
Mueller Michael,
Flannery Clare,
Huang Yingqun,
Taylor Hugh S
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
embo molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.923
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1757-4684
pISSN - 1757-4676
DOI - 10.15252/emmm.201505245
Subject(s) - endometriosis , infertility , stromal cell , endometrium , microrna , cancer research , adenomyosis , transcriptome , pelvic pain , female infertility , medicine , pregnancy , biology , endocrinology , andrology , gene expression , gene , genetics , biochemistry , radiology
Endometriosis affects approximately 15% of reproductive aged women and is associated with chronic pelvic pain and infertility. However, the molecular mechanisms by which endometriosis impacts fertility are poorly understood. The developmentally regulated, imprinted H19 long noncoding RNA (lnc RNA ) functions to reduce the bioavailability of micro RNA let‐7 by acting as a molecular sponge. Here we report that H19 expression is significantly decreased in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis as compared to normal controls. We show that decreased H19 increases let‐7 activity, which in turn inhibits Igf1r expression at the post‐transcriptional level, thereby contributing to reduced proliferation of endometrial stromal cells. We propose that perturbation of this newly identified H19/Let‐7/ IGF 1R regulatory pathway may contribute to impaired endometrial preparation and receptivity for pregnancy in women with endometriosis. Our finding represents the first example of a lnc RNA ‐based mechanism in endometriosis and its associated infertility, thus holding potential in the development of novel therapeutics for women with endometriosis and infertility.