Around 10 to 15 per cent of all women of childbearing age are affected by endometriosis. This chronic, inflammatory, hitherto incurable gynaecological disease, which is often diagnosed late, is extremely complex and causes enormous suffering for patients. A new joint project coordinated by the University of Ulm is dedicated to holistic and systems biology research into the disease and its causes. "HoPE" aims to decipher the interplay between nutrition, immune system, metabolism and intestinal microbiome and to develop and test endometriosis-specific nutritional concepts with the involvement of patients. The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - BMBF) with around 2.7 million euros.
Their period pains can be so severe that sufferers faint. And patients with endometriosis can suffer from a variety of other symptoms. In addition to extremely reinforced menstrual bleeding, these include nausea, dizziness, infertility, food intolerances and a higher risk of cancer. It often takes many years before they finally receive a diagnosis. In the new research association HoPE ("A Holistic and system-biological approach to understand the biomolecular Pathomechanisms of Endometriosis"), female scientists from Charité Berlin, the University of Jena, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig and the Immundiagnostik-AG Bensheim, coordinated by Ulm University, now want to investigate various mechanisms in order to gain a holistic understanding of the causes of endometriosis. The consortium is receiving funding totalling around 2.7 million euros over three years from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
"We want to significantly improve the quality of life of women suffering from endometriosis," says Professor Iris-Tatjana Kolassa. The head of the Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology at Ulm University is coordinating the HoPE research team, which will focus on the entire spectrum of symptoms. This is because the development of this complex disease is still largely unknown. In those affected, tissue that resembles the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis cells can affect the uterine muscle wall, the peritoneum, ovaries and fallopian tubes. This can damage the organs themselves and restrict their function. Deeply infiltrating endometriosis can even grow through the intestines and ureters and cause such severe damage that parts of the tissue have to be surgically removed. "With HoPE, we want to investigate how food intolerances, nutritional status and gut bacteria can influence inflammatory and hormonal mechanisms," says Kolassa, describing the research objective. The role of the gut microbiome and nutrition in patients with endometriosis has so far been neglected in clinical practice. Affected women are treated with hormones, which are often associated with massive side effects, or often undergo repeated, complex and difficult operations to remove lesions, including the complete removal of the uterus. "HoPE is also a feasibility study that should lead to completely new treatment concepts for endometriosis," says the project coordinator: endometriosis-specific nutritional programmes are to be developed and tested for the first time. The study of human samples will enable the direct transfer of basic/fundamental research into clinical practice. Patients will be involved in the research via the Endometriosis Association Germany (Endometriose-Vereinigung Deutschland e.V.).
In three sub-projects, HoPE is investigating key factors in the growth and survival of endometrial tissue and the role played by nutrition and the intestinal microbiome in a uniquely comprehensive and integrative manner. Experts from the fields of gynaecology, systems biology, mitochondrial biopsychology and nutritional sciences are working together.
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding a total of five new collaborative projects
In addition to "HoPE", the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding four other collaborative projects in which experts are working on new findings on endometriosis on an interdisciplinary basis. The research aims to answer open questions about the development and progression of the disease and find better prevention, diagnosis and treatment options. The other networks are focussing on getting to the bottom of the pain, understanding the course of the disease, preventing infertility and improving treatment.
Text and media contact: Christine Liebhardt