Endometriosis is a puzzling disease that affects women hormones, immune system and the digestive tract.

The name comes from the word “endometrium” which is the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus. Each month, or cycle, this tissue builds up and sheds, causing the normal bleeding experienced during the period. With endometriosis, tissue like this is found outside of the uterus in other areas of the body, such as the abdomen, intestines, bladder, and other places. In these other locations, the tissue develops into what are called “growths” or “implants.”

Like the lining of the uterus, endometriosis growths usually respond to the hormones of the menstrual cycle. They can build up tissue and shed each cycle causing bleeding.

The result of this bleeding and the immune problems that are part of endo are the formation of scar tissue, pain, and other complications.

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Over the summer I got opportunity to work at Dr. Bruce Nicholson’s Lab at University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. The research entailed study of the Invasiveness of Endometriotic Stromal Cells Across a Peritoneal Mesothelial Barrier and a blood barrier in Relation to a Dye Leak Test. Mu duties included:

• Perfomed various dye leak test experiments

• Learned to independently conducted medical research experiments on endometriosis through intensive invasion assays

• Analyzed and interpreted data collected from invasion assays through immunofluorescence microscopy and fluorescence plate readings