This technology features a pharmaceutical and health functional food composition for the prevention and treatment of endometriosis, using chrysin—a flavone found in chamomile—either alone or in combination with silybin, a compound derived from milk thistle seeds. Both components inhibit the proliferation of endometriotic cells and promote apoptosis.
Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility in women of childbearing age. Its exact cause remains unknown, and because diagnosis is primarily symptom-based, many cases recur within five years even after surgical removal of lesions. Hormone therapies, such as GnRH agonists or aromatase inhibitors, are associated with side effects and drug resistance, while plant-derived treatments have lacked sufficient research into their mechanisms of action and safety.
This technology works by having chrysin or a chrysin-silybin mixture inhibit the phosphorylation of downstream molecules in the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways in endometriotic cells, thereby slowing the growth of abnormal cells and inducing apoptosis. As both components are plant-derived natural products, they offer a mechanism of action distinct from hormone therapy. This approach can be applied to non-hormonal endometriosis treatments, adjuvant therapies to prevent post-surgical recurrence, and women's health supplements, providing a broader range of options for long-term management while avoiding the side effects and resistance associated with hormonal treatments.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare for the development of fetal-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapies for treating inflammatory preterm birth and neonatal brain injury.
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