Endometriosis is a painful problem suffered by around 2 million women in the UK which can affect fertility and impact on other areas of their lives.
It is estimated that the condition – where cells that usually line the womb are found elsewhere in the body – costs the UK approximately £2.8 billion pounds a year in lost working days alone.
Yet endometriosis is little understood, can be difficult for doctors to identify, and requires an invasive laparoscopy for a firm diagnosis.
A new research collaboration bringing together the University of Aberdeen and the Medical Research Council Human Reproductive Sciences Unit (MRC HRSU) in Edinburgh will attempt to shed new light on the condition.
Scientists involved in the newly created Centre for Reproductive Endocrinology and Medicine (CREM) which is launched today (May 26) will look for substances in the body called biomarkers which can indicate the presence of disease and be used for monitoring responses without the need for surgery.
It is hoped the study of these will yield fresh clues as to what causes the disorder and also lead to better diagnosis and new treatments.
Women attending Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for laparoscopies will be asked if they want to take part in the research.
But it is not just endometriosis that will be studied by researchers connected with CREM – the collaboration aims to improve reproductive health in women and men by exploring a range of areas.
Another major area of work – which is being funded by the European Commission - will explore the potential impact on our reproductive health from the cocktail of chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis.
The two institutions will pool their complementary expertise to better understand the effects of common chemicals in the environment on the developing fetus, focusing on how these could affect future fertility and other aspects of reproductive health.
The University of Aberdeen and the MRC HRSU are already collaborating in this field in a Wellcome Trust funded study investigating the effects of chemicals in sewage sludge on the fetal reproductive development of sheep as a way of investigating what impact mixtures of environmental chemical might have on the developing human fetus.
Dr Paul Fowler, Senior Lecturer in Reproductive Physiology at the University of Aberdeen, and Co-Director of CREM, said: "The Centre for Reproductive Endocrinology and Medicine offers an excellent opportunity for our two institutions to build on their different strengths and combine their patient populations to address important reproductive health issues facing us today."
Professor Robert Millar, Director of the MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit and Founder and Co-Director of CREM, added: "This exciting collaboration is a major step in adding value to the MRC strategic investment of £25 million towards integrating reproductive health research across the UK to treat vexing diseases like endometriosis and prostatic cancer."
CREM is launched today at the University of Aberdeen's Institute of Medical Sciences between 11.30am and 2pm. Representatives from both organisations will attend.