Deciphering the role of circulating miRNAs in the etiology and pathophysiology of endometriosis: An updated compiled review

Abstract

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. It is a benign chronic condition with incapacitating symptoms like infertility and pelvic pain. Endometriosis has a detrimental impact on the reproductive health of women, placing a heavy financial strain on the medical system. It is a multifactorial disorder governed by numerous mechanisms or risk factors that contribute to the pathologies of the disease. With limitations in diagnostics techniques, it is challenging to detect the disease at an initial stage. In around 1 % of endometriotic patients malignant state may reach, leading to severe consequences. To overcome such challenges, at present, numerous circulating miRNAs have been studied in plasma or serum samples from patients with endometriosis to develop a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker-based tool to identify the disease early. Our review compiles the miRNAs in bodily fluids that are linked with endometriosis-related mechanisms, which may serve as a potential biomarker. Some of these mechanisms are common in both cancer and endometriosis. Additionally, we have also emphasised the miRNAs with a putative role in cancer development and progression that could be used as a biomarker. This may further aid in protecting the 1 % of affected females from ovarian, breast, and in some cases endometrial cancer. We have come across several miRNAs associated with multiple mechanisms associated with endometriosis. miR-199a and miRNAs-let-7 family are some of the most common miRNAs that assist in multiple mechanisms such as cell proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Strategic planning and additional investigation into the identified miRNAs would make them a viable therapeutic target for the optimal management of endometriosis.