Increased Migration Ability of Adenomyosis-Derived Endometrial Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Adenomyosis is a form of endometriosis—a gynecological disease associated with abnormal functional activity of endometrial cells. Endometrial stem cells can play a key role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Despite the numerous studies that have been conducted of cultures of endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs) obtained from patients with adenomyosis, information on their phenotypic and functional properties is very contradictory. In this work, a comparative study of morphological and migratory characteristics of human endometrial mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the menstrual blood of healthy donors (eMSCs) and a donor with adenomyosis (eMSCs-A) was performed. eMSC migration was evaluated by the method of “wound healing” using live-cell microscopy. It was established that the rate of wound healing of eMSCs-A is significantly higher compared to normal cells, which indicates an increased migration potential of eMSCs-A in adenomyosis. However, when transferring cells to a serum-free medium, eMSC-A migrated more slowly than normal cells. As a result of the assessment of morphological characteristics, it was found that eMSCs-A are smaller (in area and perimeter) than normal eMSCs, while the remaining morphometric parameters reflecting cell polarization did not differ. The data obtained allow the use of eMSCs in culture as a model for elucidating the membrane and intracellular mechanisms that underlie changes in cellular mechanics, motility, and invasive activity in various pathologies, including adenomyosis.