Angiogenic Mechanisms in Endometrial Development

Angiogenesis within the endometrium is a tightly regulated process that underpins reproductive success. During the proliferative phase, oestrogen drives expansion of the functional layer, promoting endothelial cell proliferation and vessel sprouting under the influence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factors. With the onset of the secretory phase, progesterone shifts the balance towards vessel stabilisation, engaging angiopoietin–Tie2 and Notch signalling pathways to support pericyte recruitment and luminal remodelling. Hypoxia‐inducible factors coordinate vascular permeability and oxygen delivery at the implantation window, while decidualisation of stromal cells amplifies local secretion of pro-angiogenic cytokines and extracellular vesicles, orchestrating cross-talk with endothelial and immune populations such as uterine natural killer cells. Precise interplay of these signals ensures appropriate vascular density and permeability; dysregulation is implicated in infertility, abnormal foetal growth and pre-eclampsia. Beyond reproductive health, insights into endometrial neovascularisation are driving advances in tissue-engineering for endometrial repair and informing novel contraceptive strategies. Cutting-edge approaches including live imaging, single‐cell transcriptomics and organoid models are now revealing the cellular choreography of vessel formation across the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy, highlighting the global significance of endometrial vascular dynamics.

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Angiogenic Mechanisms in Endometrial Development publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in angiogenic mechanisms in endometrial development across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Angiogenesis: Formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature.

Decidualisation: Hormone-driven differentiation of endometrial stromal cells into secretory decidual cells.

Endometrium: Mucosal lining of the uterus undergoing cyclical proliferation, secretion and shedding.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF): Principal protein promoting endothelial cell growth and vessel formation.

Angiopoietin: Family of growth factors regulating vascular maturation and stability via Tie receptors.

References

1. Vascular changes in the cycling and early pregnant uterus. JCI Insight (2023).
2. Role of Endometrial Extracellular Vesicles in Mediating Cell-to-Cell Communication in the Uterus: A Review. Cells (2023).
3. Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Proliferative Phase Endometrium: Systems Analysis of Cell–Cell Communication Network Using CellChat. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2022).
4. Expression of Hypoxia-inducible Factors in the Peri-implantation Mouse Uterus Is Regulated in a Cell-specific and Ovarian Steroid Hormone-dependent Manner EVIDENCE FOR DIFFERENTIAL FUNCTION OF HIFs DURING EARLY PREGNANCY*. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2002).