title: Challenges in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of endometriosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease that results in pelvic pain and infertility. Its treatment is often frustrating due to limited medical treatment options, complex surgical treatment and high recurrence rates. Despite the advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis over the last decades and the consequent novel therapeutic strategies, no new drugs have been introduced in daily clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the first part we present an overview of the pathogenesis of endometriosis. In the second part we discuss how new insights have led to the development of novel nonhormonal strategies for the treatment of endometriosis, focusing on anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic agents. In the third part we describe the problems encountered in the translation from experimental drugs to routine medicine for the treatment of endometriosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the multitude of agents that have been tested in preclinical trials, only few drugs have passed to the stage of clinical testing and none have been introduced into clinical practice. It is our opinion that the major challenges in the translation from novel agents for endometriosis is due to the use of inadequate rodent models and a lack of standardization in the design and reporting of preclinical endometriosis models.
authors.affiliation: a Leuven University Endometriosis Center of Expertise, Leuven University Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , UZ Gasthuisberg , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanhie
authors.affiliation: a Leuven University Endometriosis Center of Expertise, Leuven University Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , UZ Gasthuisberg , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomassetti
authors.affiliation: a Leuven University Endometriosis Center of Expertise, Leuven University Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , UZ Gasthuisberg , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peeraer
authors.affiliation: a Leuven University Endometriosis Center of Expertise, Leuven University Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , UZ Gasthuisberg , Leuven , Belgium.|b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine , Leuven University , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meuleman
authors.affiliation: b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine , Leuven University , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D'Hooghe
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents
keywords: Endometriosis; animal models; pathogenesis; treatment