Description
The endometrium has a high regenerative capacity, mainly controlled by stem cells. Endometrial stem cells reside in the basalis of the endometrium; however, other sources of stem cells, such as the bone marrow, also contribute to endometrial tissue homeostasis. Damage to the stem cell niche results in the replacement of bona fide endometrium with fibrotic endometrium, which leads to endometrial atrophy or Asherman’s Syndrome.
Our group demonstrated the therapeutic potential of autologous bone marrow CD133+ stem cells in treating endometrial pathologies such as Asherman’s syndrome or endometrial atrophy.
We are currently conducting a Phase II clinical trial that aims to confirm the safety of this therapy and obtain a deeper understanding of the effects and mechanisms of action of CD133+ bone marrow stem cell therapy. This knowledge will help us design specific, targeted therapies to effectively treat this incurable condition.
Description
The endometrium has a high regenerative capacity, mainly controlled by stem cells. Endometrial stem cells reside in the basalis of the endometrium; however, other sources of stem cells, such as the bone marrow, also contribute to endometrial tissue homeostasis. Damage to the stem cell niche results in the replacement of bona fide endometrium with fibrotic endometrium, which leads to endometrial atrophy or Asherman’s Syndrome.
Our group demonstrated the therapeutic potential of autologous bone marrow CD133+ stem cells in treating endometrial pathologies such as Asherman’s syndrome or endometrial atrophy.
We are currently conducting a Phase II clinical trial that aims to confirm the safety of this therapy and obtain a deeper understanding of the effects and mechanisms of action of CD133+ bone marrow stem cell therapy. This knowledge will help us design specific, targeted therapies to effectively treat this incurable condition.
Team members
Xavier Santamaria M.D., Ph.D. is a Board Ob/Gyn specialist in Reproductive Medicine. He obtained a post-graduate fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University (USA) and completed his Ph.D. at the Universitat Autònoma Barcelona (Spain). Dr. Santamaria was the Director of the International Department at the IVI between 2012 and 2016. In 2016, he joined Dr. Simon’s Research group as a Senior Principal Investigator, where he has developed his research related to Asherman’s Syndrome.
His main clinical and scientific interest is in understanding the regenerative capacity of the human endometrium and developing strategies to regenerate the endometrium to improve embryo implantation.
His group was the first to complete a trial using human bone marrow stem cells to treat Asherman’s syndrome and endometrial atrophy (PMID: 27005892) demonstrating this approach’s feasibility in treating endometrial pathologies. As a result, CD133+ cells have been designed as the first Orphan Drug (ODD) by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the field of gynecological research. Dr. Santamaria has also participated as an inventor in 7 different patent applications, and is a co-founder and scientific director of 4 different start-up companies.
He has published 27 papers in peer-reviewed journals (H-index of 15) and 12 book chapters. He has been an invited speaker at more than 70 international conferences and was awarded the prize for Best Oral Presentation for Young Investigators at the Society of Gynecological Investigation Meeting in 2009. He has directed one doctoral thesis.
ResearcherID: D-7856-2018
Maria Pardo, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Estefania Fernandez
Laboratory Technician
Jose Serrano
Predoctoral Researcher
Javier Gonzalez
Predoctoral Researcher
Main Publications
Decoding the endometrial niche of Asherman’s Syndrome at single-cell resolution
Santamaria, X., Roson, B., Perez-Moraga, R. et al. Decoding the endometrial niche of Asherman’s Syndrome at single-cell resolution. Nat Commun 14, 5890 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41656-1
Uterine stem cells: from basic research to advanced cell therapies
Santamaria X, Mas A, Cervello I, Taylor H, Simon C. Hum Reprod Update. 2018 Nov 1;24(6):673-693. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmy028. PMID:Â 30239705
Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5-positive cells in the endometrial stem cell niche
Cervello I, Gil-Sanchis C, Santamaria X, Faus A, Vallve-Juanico J, Diaz-Gimeno P, Genolet O, Pellicer A, Simon C. FERTIL STERIL. 2017 Feb;107(2):510-519.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.10.021. Epub 2016 Nov 22.PMID: 27887719
Autologous cell therapy with CD133+ bone marrow-derived stem cells for refractory Asherman's syndrome and endometrial atrophy: a pilot cohort study
Santamaria X, Cabanillas S, Cervello I, Arbona C, Raga F, Ferro J, Palmero J, Remohi J, Pellicer A, Simon C.
Hum Reprod 2016; 31(5):1087-96. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew042
Human CDD133(+) bone marrow-derived stem cells promote endometrial proliferation in a murine model of Asherman syndrome
Cervello I, Santamaria X, Gil-Sanchis C, Faus A, Cabanillas S, Simon C. FERTIL STERIL 2015; 104(6):1552-60.E1-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.08.032