Project 1 – Lymphocyte function in inflammatory disorders of human endometrium and decidua

​Endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are major causes of female subfertility and infertility. Each is accompanied by chronic endometrial inflammation triggered and perpetuated by uncertain mechanisms. Potential roles for immune cells, specifically T and B lymphocytes, in endometrial inflammation are largely unexplored despite their being key orchestrators and mediators of tissue inflammation in many other non-uterine contexts. Furthermore, the antigen specificities of endometrial T and B cells are not well described, and whether self-antigen specific clones contribute to disorders with poor reproductive outcomes is unclear, despite evidence that endometriosis, in particular, may have an autoimmune component. These knowledge gaps represent major opportunities for improving reproductive outcomes for infertile patients with endometriosis and PCOS. Moreover, these disorders represent ideal models for investigating how immune dysregulation in the endometrium may contribute to infertility and subfertility more broadly. The overall goal of this project is to determine the role of antigen-specific T and B cell responses in fertility and infertility, including the roles of these cells in decidual inflammation.