Patankar Lab publishes study on endometriosis treatment in Reproduction

According to the World Health Organization, endometriosis affects roughly 10 percent of reproductive-aged women around the world; despite this prevalence, treatment options are limited. In a new study in Reproduction, members of the Patankar Lab describe a novel treatment strategy for the disease.

“Oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors inhibit proliferation of endometriosis cells”, by Arvinder Kapur, PhD, Jose M Ayuso, PhD, Santosh Kumari, PhD, Mildred Felder, Zach Stenerson, Melisa C Skala, PhD, Dave Beebe, PhD, Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, and Manish S Patankar, PhD, tests oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) inhibitors curcumin, plumbagin, and atovaquone against an endometriosis cell line:

“The results suggest that all three compounds inhibit proliferation and cause cell death of the endometriotic cells by inhibiting OXPHOS and causing an increase in intracellular oxygen radicals. The oxidative stress mediated by curcumin, plumbagin, and atovaquone causes DNA double-strand breaks as indicated by the elevation of phospho-γH2Ax. Mitochondrial energetics shows a significant decrease in oxygen consumption in 12Z cells.”

Read the study here!