Application of Single-Cell Sequencing in Endometriosis

doi:10.12280/gjfckx.20250401

Abstract

Abstract:

Endometriosis (EMs) is a common chronic gynecological disease. Its core pathology is the ectopic growth of endometrial tissue, but traditional theories struggle to comprehensively explain its complex mechanisms, resulting in challenges of delayed diagnosis and poor treatment outcomes in clinical practice. The application of single-cell sequencing technology provides a new perspective for revealing the cellular and molecular mechanisms of EMs. By analyzing multi-omics information such as the genome and transcriptome of individual cells, this technology overcomes the problem of homogenization of single-cell heterogeneity in traditional sequencing technologies. Studies have found that in the immune microenvironment, the dynamic changes of immune cell subsets in the abdominal cavity and lesions reveal the synergistic effects of immune escape and the inflammatory microenvironment. The fibrosis process involves the deposition of extracellular matrix dominated by myofibroblasts, and the M2 polarization of macrophages exacerbates fibrosis through microenvironmental remodeling or inhibition of epithelial apoptosis. Abnormal angiogenesis is associated with the expansion of tumor-derived endothelial cell and dysregulation of pro-angiogenic factors. Additionally, there is a molecular association between EMs and ovarian cancer, which reveals the mechanisms of infertility caused by impaired oocyte maturation and decreased endometrial receptivity. The emerging spatial transcriptomics technology, which integrates single-cell resolution with spatial location information, further promotes the study of microenvironmental heterogeneity. Despite facing challenges in data complexity and technical processing, single-cell sequencing still has significant potential in high-throughput optimization and multi-omic integration. With technological advancements, this field is expected to break through the bottlenecks in the diagnosis and treatment of EMs and accelerate the transformation from basic research to precise clinical treatment.

Key words: Endometriosis, Sequence analysis, Single-cell analysis, Immunity, Fibrosis, Angiogenesis

LI Jia-yi, TANG Yu-xia, LU Xing-fei, YUAN Ming, LIN Kai-qing. Application of Single-Cell Sequencing in Endometriosis[J]. Journal of International Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2025, 52(5): 521-526.

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