What causes pain in endometriosis
Official title: Peripheral and central mechanisms of endometriosis pain
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11302715 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at hormone levels, pain-processing in the nervous system, and tissue markers in people with pelvic pain who are having laparoscopic surgery to find links to more or less pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $194,375 |
| NIH project number | 5R21HD115568-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302715 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults assigned female at birth who have pelvic pain and are scheduled for laparoscopic surgery to diagnose or treat endometriosis would be the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without pelvic pain, those not undergoing surgery, or those whose pain is unrelated to endometriosis may not benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
You would complete a baseline visit with questionnaires and pain tests that measure how your nervous system modulates pain (conditioned pain modulation). Blood will be drawn to measure systemic estrogen, and tissue removed during your laparoscopic procedure will be analyzed for local estrogen levels and estrogen receptor expression. Researchers will compare people with confirmed endometriosis to those with pelvic pain but no endometriosis and follow pain after lesion removal surgery. The team will look for patterns that predict who has more pain and who is most likely to get pain relief after surgery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict who will get pain relief from surgery and guide more personalized treatments for endometriosis pain.
How similar studies have gone: Components like measuring conditioned pain modulation and hormone levels have been used before, but combining central pain testing with lesion estrogen measurements to predict surgical outcomes is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nahman-Averbuch, Hadas — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Nahman-Averbuch, Hadas
Related research
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Hormonal Influences on Inflammation in Endometriosis
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How genes influence endometriosis in women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds
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CXCR4 methylation in endometriosis and its role as an early biomarker and non-hormonal therapy target
This project explores how changes in CXCR4 gene regulation may help diagnose endometriosis earlier and point toward non-hormonal treatments for the condition.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.