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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

A Syngeneic Murine Model of Endometriosis using Naturally Cycling Mice
Published on: November 24, 2020
G-Protein-Coupled Receptor CXCR7 Is Overexpressed in Human and Murine Endometriosis
Nicola Pluchino1, Ramanaiah Mamillapalli1, Irene Moridi1
11 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Abstract:
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Dysfunctional regulation of chemokines and chemokine receptors is a crucial aspect of endometriosis pathogenesis. Chemokine G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important drug targets that regulate inflammation and immunity. Recently, CXCR7, a C-X-C motif containing GPCR, has been identified as a receptor for chemokine ligand CXCL12, one of the best characterized chemokines for cell trafficking, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation in cancer and inflammation. Here, we investigated the expression and localization of CXCR7 in human endometriosis and a murine model of the disease. Normal endometrial epithelium and stroma showed undetectable or very low expression of CXCR7, without any significant changes across phases of the menstrual cycle in humans. CXCR7 is significantly upregulated in endometriosis, showing higher staining in glands and in associated vessels. The mouse model recapitulated the human findings. In conclusion, overexpression of CXCR7 in different cellular populations of endometriosis microenvironment may play a role in the pathogenesis and represent a novel target for treatment.
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