title: Current understanding of somatic stem cells in leiomyoma formation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a detailed summary of current scientific knowledge of somatic stem cells (SSCs) in murine and human myometrium and their putative implication in leiomyoma formation, as well as to establish new therapeutic options.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pubmed and Scholar One manuscripts were used to identify the most relevant studies on SSCs and their implications in human myometrium and leiomyomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  University research laboratory-affiliated infertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite numerous publications on SSCs, it was not until 2007 that scientific evidence based on the use of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and side population (SP) methods in murine and human myometrium were first published. Recently, it has been reported that SP cells are present in human leiomyomas; however, to date the pathogenesis of this benign tumor remains unclear. Besides many genetic/epigenetic alterations, changes to steroid hormones and growth factors may also be associated with the impaired function, proliferation, and differentiation of a subset of putative SSCs in human myometrium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings open up new possibilities for understanding the origin of this benign tumor and help to develop new nonsurgical approaches for their management.
authors.affiliation: Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Instituto Universitario IVI-University of Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: aymara.mas@ivi.es.
authors.forename: Aymara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mas
authors.affiliation: Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Instituto Universitario IVI-University of Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cervello
authors.affiliation: Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Instituto Universitario IVI-University of Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gil-Sanchis
authors.affiliation: Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Instituto Universitario IVI-University of Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simón
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000473:pathology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000473:pathology; D009215:Myometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D058985:Side-Population Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Myometrium; side population; somatic stem cells; tumor-initiating cells; uterine leiomyomas