Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Role of thymic stromal lymphopoietin in the endometriotic lesion microenvironment Endometriosis is a chronic condition that affects approximately ten percent of women worldwide. In endometriosis, tissue that resembles the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, forms lesions outside the uterus. Research has associated disease occurrence with the flow of menstrual tissue into the pelvic region, where it could remain to form endometriotic lesions. However, as this process has since been shown to occur in most women without complication, it is now postulated that a dysregulated immune response at or around the lesion in affected women could underlie their inability to clear refluxed debris and establish disease. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a protein that is released from, and interacts with, immune and non-immune cells. It has been shown to modulate inflammation, promote tissue regeneration, and enhance fibrosis. Current literature indicates that TSLP is elevated in patient lesions and could increase their proliferation. However, further research is needed to characterize TSLP expression levels in mild to severe endometriotic lesions. I hypothesize that TSLP is expressed on endometriotic lesions and modulates lesion-associated proliferation, inflammation, and vascularization. To examine this, I will (1) characterize TSLP expression in human patient samples, (2) determine how TSLP impacts the functions of endometriosis-representative cell lines, and (3) evaluate the role of TSLP treatment on lesion growth and inflammation in a mouse model of endometriosis. These results would allow the community to understand whether TSLP is implicated in endometriosis, whether TSLP can be used for diagnosis, and whether TSLP could be an effective therapeutic target.