Uterine Fibroids: From Molecular Basis to Therapy
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 12446
Special Issue Editor
Interests: uterine fibroids; reproductive surgery; uterine biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Uterine fibroids are the most frequent pelvic neoplasms and occur in about 20–30% of women of childbearing age, with a peak of 70% of women around the age of 45. Although many fibroids are asymptomatic and of small size, about 50% of women that develop symptomatic fibroids require medical intervention, with a significantly higher incidence in black women. Where drug treatment fails to improve symptoms satisfactorily, surgical removal of the fibroid remains the preferred approach. Despite the widely demonstrated effects of sex steroids on the growth of fibroids, the etiopathogenesis of uterine fibromatosis remains partially uncharacterized. In particular, the role of estrogen and progesterone is crucial not only for the understanding of the pathogenesis, but also for the treatment of the fibroids themselves. In fact, the receptors of these two hormones have increased expression in fibroids compared to healthy tissue. In addition to the cytological aspect, increased expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors was reported in immunohistochemical tests on tissue, and this was correlated with increased growth rate of the fibroid. Progesterone, like estrogen, also appears to play an etiopathogenetic role in uterine fibromatosis. Keeping in mind recent evidence reporting that estrogens increase the expression of progesterone receptors, there is also some evidence reported for the de novo synthesis of estrogen by fibroid cells. This autocrine production seems to be due to overexpression of the aromatase enzyme, which converts androgens into estrogens. It has, in fact, been shown that there is an accumulation of estradiol within myoma cells, which leads to an overregulation of estrogen receptors with consequent hypersensitivity to this hormone. This process results in overexpression of the progesterone receptor and its responsiveness, with a consequent increase in cell proliferation. Moreover, uterine fibroids are monoclonal neoplasms originating from mutation of a myocyte. In this regard, about 50% of uterine fibroids have chromosomal aberrations. The defect that is most encountered is the mutual translocation of chromosomes 12q15 and 14q24 at the level of the HMGIC gene, on chromosome 12, encoding the protein transcription factor HMGIC.
This Special Issue wishes to focus on basic and translational research, as well as molecular and hormonal evidence, toward obtaining a more complete comprehension of the etiopathology and pathophysiology of uterine fibroids and its translation into current clinical and gynecological practices for fibroid treatment.
Prof. Dr. Andrea Tinelli
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- uterine fibroids
- uterine myoma
- leiomyoma
- reproduction
- pregnancy
- GnRH agonists
- exogenous progestogens
- antiprogestens
- selective modulators of progesterone receptors
- tranexamic acid
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
