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Updated: Dec 16, 2025

Generation of Multicellular Human Primary Endometrial Organoids
Published on: October 4, 2019
Distinct follicular and luteal transcriptional profiles in engineered human ectocervical tissue dependent on
Kelly E McKinnon1, Spiro Getsios2, Teresa K Woodruff1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Abstract:
To investigate genomic pathways that may influence physiology and infectivity during the menstrual cycle, RNA sequence analysis was performed on patient-matched engineered ectocervical tissue after follicular and luteal phase (LP) hormone treatments. We developed distinct cellular, molecular, and biological profiles in ectocervical epithelium dependent on the menstrual cycle phase. Follicular phase hormones were associated with proliferation, transcription, and cell adhesion, while LP samples expressed genes involved in immune cell recruitment, inflammation, and protein modifications. Additionally, our analysis revealed mucins not previously reported in ectocervical tissue, which could play an important role in fertility and disease prevention. This study provides insight into the phenomenon of increased LP vulnerability to infection and identifies potential targets for future research.
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