Progestin suppresses endometriosis via decorin

Dienogest, a synthetic progestin, is effective against endometriosis. Decorin is a powerful endogenous paracrine tumour repressor. Ono and colleagues investigated the effects of progesterone and dienogest on in vitro proliferation of human ectopic endometrial epithelial and stromal cell lines, and the role of decorin in this pathway. They then examined DCN mRNA expression in 50 endometriosis patients. Their results demonstrate that progesterone and dienogest inhibit the proliferation of immortalized human endometriosis epithelial cells and stromal cells via the upregulation of decorin. Moreover, that decorin has significant antiproliferative effects on human endometriotic epithelial cells and endometrial stromal cells via p21 synthesis and cell cycle arrest.

Read the full article at Ono et al. (2014) Journal of Endocrinology 223 203–216. DOI:10.1530/JOE-14-0393