There’s very little research on endometriosis. It has historically been dismissed as a women’s issue in the male-dominated medical industry, so nobody knows what causes it or exactly how it works. —Zoe Jung, 10th Grade
In honor of Endometriosis Month, we’re highlighting Dr. Linda Griffith and the MIT Center for Gynepathology Research (CGR). Griffith founded the lab to address the lack of research around female reproductive biology and disease, specifically endometriosis. CGR is currently attempting to find better ways to classify endometriosis patients to allow more specific targeting of treatments.
Endometriosis is a disease where the tissue that lines the uterus, called the endometrium, grows outside the uterus and on other organs. The problem is how this endometrial tissue continues to react to the body’s hormonal changes. During the menstrual cycle, the endometrium responds to increased estrogen levels by gaining mass. At the end (or beginning) of the cycle, it bleeds and sheds through the vagina. That’s what periods are. But displaced endometrial tissue still responds to hormone changes. It grows into lesions that cause pain and scarring as they attempt to shed. If it goes on for long enough, the scarring can stick organs together, which pulls nerves and can cause extra pain outside the menstrual cycle.
There’s very little research on endometriosis. It has historically been dismissed as a women’s issue in the male-dominated medical industry, so nobody knows what causes it or exactly how it works. There are theories, a common one being that endometrial cells escape from the fallopian tubes and attach to organs, but none have been proven. As of 2020, it takes an average of eight years to get a diagnosis in the UK, and studies have shown an average of seven to 10 years in various other places around the world. Even then, there’s no cure: only treatments meant to reduce symptoms. Endometriosis is classified as a “benign” disease because it doesn’t metastasize like cancer, but it’s common and the lack of knowledge we have about it is a clear example of how often women’s health is overlooked. This is why CGR’s work is so important.
CGR was the first research center in the United States to focus on endometriosis. It’s co-directed by Dr. Griffith and Keith Isaacson. Griffith received a MacArthur “genius grant” Fellowship in 2006 for her work in tissue engineering. The MacArthur Fellowship is a $500,000 grant given to those who show “exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more.” According to a New York Times article, Griffith used that money to open the lab in 2009.
In 2007, Griffith was invited to speak at a Women in Science and Engineering luncheon. When the moderator asked the speakers where they saw themselves in 10 years, Griffith finally opened up about her condition. “I have a chronic disease called endometriosis for which my niece, who’s 16, was just diagnosed. There’s no better treatment for her, 30 years younger than me, than there was for me when I was 16.”
She said she had been talking with people at MIT about developing a cross-disciplinary strategy to handle the disease. In 10 years, given no unexpected discovery of a solution, she imagined that’s what she’d be doing. Now it’s 15 years later, and she was right.
When Griffith was diagnosed with endometriosis, she felt like she couldn’t talk about it. Her gynecologist only had two options for her, one of them being pregnancy and the other being Danazol, an anabolic steroid similar to testosterone. Up to 10% of reproductive-age women in the U.S. have endometriosis, and an estimated 200 million people worldwide. (This includes people who are not women but do have uteri.) Endometriosis can cause lifelong pain and infertility. In an interview, Griffith says, “You just don't talk about your period. So that has to change - more dialogue.”
It’s not all bad, though. General awareness of endometriosis has been increasing—in 2020, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that doubled federal funding for endometriosis research after former Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, who introduced the amendment, announced her own longstanding diagnosis on the Senate Floor. Other celebrities such as Padma Lakshmi, Lena Dunham, and Amy Schumer have also gone public with their stories. CGR itself has been the focus of several articles recently, in the New York Times and NPR. The lab is working to develop better and more individualized treatments for endometriosis, and hopefully represents motion toward a society that cares about women’s bodies.
Endometriosis is a disease where the tissue that lines the uterus, called the endometrium, grows outside the uterus and on other organs. The problem is how this endometrial tissue continues to react to the body’s hormonal changes. During the menstrual cycle, the endometrium responds to increased estrogen levels by gaining mass. At the end (or beginning) of the cycle, it bleeds and sheds through the vagina. That’s what periods are. But displaced endometrial tissue still responds to hormone changes. It grows into lesions that cause pain and scarring as they attempt to shed. If it goes on for long enough, the scarring can stick organs together, which pulls nerves and can cause extra pain outside the menstrual cycle.
There’s very little research on endometriosis. It has historically been dismissed as a women’s issue in the male-dominated medical industry, so nobody knows what causes it or exactly how it works. There are theories, a common one being that endometrial cells escape from the fallopian tubes and attach to organs, but none have been proven. As of 2020, it takes an average of eight years to get a diagnosis in the UK, and studies have shown an average of seven to 10 years in various other places around the world. Even then, there’s no cure: only treatments meant to reduce symptoms. Endometriosis is classified as a “benign” disease because it doesn’t metastasize like cancer, but it’s common and the lack of knowledge we have about it is a clear example of how often women’s health is overlooked. This is why CGR’s work is so important.
CGR was the first research center in the United States to focus on endometriosis. It’s co-directed by Dr. Griffith and Keith Isaacson. Griffith received a MacArthur “genius grant” Fellowship in 2006 for her work in tissue engineering. The MacArthur Fellowship is a $500,000 grant given to those who show “exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more.” According to a New York Times article, Griffith used that money to open the lab in 2009.
In 2007, Griffith was invited to speak at a Women in Science and Engineering luncheon. When the moderator asked the speakers where they saw themselves in 10 years, Griffith finally opened up about her condition. “I have a chronic disease called endometriosis for which my niece, who’s 16, was just diagnosed. There’s no better treatment for her, 30 years younger than me, than there was for me when I was 16.”
She said she had been talking with people at MIT about developing a cross-disciplinary strategy to handle the disease. In 10 years, given no unexpected discovery of a solution, she imagined that’s what she’d be doing. Now it’s 15 years later, and she was right.
When Griffith was diagnosed with endometriosis, she felt like she couldn’t talk about it. Her gynecologist only had two options for her, one of them being pregnancy and the other being Danazol, an anabolic steroid similar to testosterone. Up to 10% of reproductive-age women in the U.S. have endometriosis, and an estimated 200 million people worldwide. (This includes people who are not women but do have uteri.) Endometriosis can cause lifelong pain and infertility. In an interview, Griffith says, “You just don't talk about your period. So that has to change - more dialogue.”
It’s not all bad, though. General awareness of endometriosis has been increasing—in 2020, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that doubled federal funding for endometriosis research after former Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, who introduced the amendment, announced her own longstanding diagnosis on the Senate Floor. Other celebrities such as Padma Lakshmi, Lena Dunham, and Amy Schumer have also gone public with their stories. CGR itself has been the focus of several articles recently, in the New York Times and NPR. The lab is working to develop better and more individualized treatments for endometriosis, and hopefully represents motion toward a society that cares about women’s bodies.
Sources:
Home • The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research
Endometriosis: Bioengineer Linda Griffith Seeks Clues To Better Treatment - Health News : NPR
Facts about endometriosis – Endometriosis.org
A recipe for health | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Endometriosis: Bioengineer Linda Griffith Seeks Clues To Better Treatment : Shots - Health News : NPR
WISE Luncheon_Fall 2007
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Explained • The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research
What Is Endometriosis? | EndoFound
Symptoms – Endometriosis.org
Unexplainable podcast discusses “the mysteries of endometriosis” • The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research
Endometriosis APPG Report Oct 2020.pdf
Endometriosis | Johns Hopkins Medicine
The study of pain communication and the diagnostic delay of endometriosis
Endometriosis | ACOG
Inflammation gene may be possible drug target for endometriosis | Science | AAAS
Linda Griffith - MacArthur Foundation
Congress Approves Doubling Funding For Endometriosis Research | EndoFound
House Approves Push by Finkenauer and Endometriosis Caucus to Double Research Funding | Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón
Sources:
Home • The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research
Endometriosis: Bioengineer Linda Griffith Seeks Clues To Better Treatment - Health News : NPR
Facts about endometriosis – Endometriosis.org
A recipe for health | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Endometriosis: Bioengineer Linda Griffith Seeks Clues To Better Treatment : Shots - Health News : NPR
WISE Luncheon_Fall 2007
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Explained • The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research
What Is Endometriosis? | EndoFound
Symptoms – Endometriosis.org
Unexplainable podcast discusses “the mysteries of endometriosis” • The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research
Endometriosis APPG Report Oct 2020.pdf
Endometriosis | Johns Hopkins Medicine
The study of pain communication and the diagnostic delay of endometriosis
Endometriosis | ACOG
Inflammation gene may be possible drug target for endometriosis | Science | AAAS
Linda Griffith - MacArthur Foundation
Congress Approves Doubling Funding For Endometriosis Research | EndoFound
House Approves Push by Finkenauer and Endometriosis Caucus to Double Research Funding | Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón
Sources: