In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers from Nagoya University documented how Fusobacterium may play a key role in spurring the development of endometriosis after the bacterium was detected in over 60% of women with the condition. The findings of the study are encouraging and could point to a potential role for antibiotics as treatment for endometriosis in women who are positive for Fusobacteria infection, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Amy Murray, Healthcare Analyst at GlobalData comments: “Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition, which can manifest as a variety of painful symptoms, including chronic pelvic pain, severe and frequent cramps during menstruation and pain during sexual intercourse. Despite affecting nearly one in ten women, it can take eight years on average for a diagnosis after initial symptom onset. A key reason for this lag is that researchers still don’t fully understand the underlying mechanisms of the condition and exactly how it occurs. However, mounting evidence suggests that bacteria may play a key role in the pathogenesis of this condition.”

A research group from Nagoya University, sought to investigate the role of bacterial infection by analysing tissue samples from women with and without endometriosis, all of whom had surgery at Nagoya University Hospital and Toyota Kosei Hospital in Japan.

Murray continues: “The findings of the study demonstrated that 64% of patients with endometriosis had Fusobacterium in their uterine lining, versus fewer than 10% of women in the control group. To further determine whether Fusobacterium affects the course of endometriosis directly, the team transplanted endometrial tissue from one set of mice into the abdominal cavity of another and within weeks, they found endometriotic lesions in the recipient mice.”

After treating the mice with the antibiotics, metronidazole or chloramphenicol, administered vaginally, the researchers found that this significantly reduced the development of endometriosis, as well as the number and size of the lesions.

Murray concludes: “Not only do these findings give important insight into the underlying cause of endometriosis, but they also provide a convincing and novel rationale for targeting Fusobacterium as a non-hormonal antibiotic-based treatment for endometriosis. However, while these findings are intriguing and potentially promising, research in this area is still in its infancy. More extensive research in humans is necessary to further elucidate how Fusobacterium enters the body and causes endometriosis. It will also be important for researchers to further understand whether there is a role for antibiotics as a treatment option for endometriosis, especially given their side effects when used long-term.”