CINCINNATI, Ohio. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Endometriosis is a painful and often debilitating disease that affects an estimated 6.5 million women in the U.S. It occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing pain, inflammation, and sometimes infertility. Despite the staggering numbers, doctors and patients say research has been chronically underfunded. NIH has spent less than one-tenth of 1% of its budget over the past decade to study the disease. Now, one researcher is using her own struggle to bring hope to millions.
Prof. Katie Burns, toxicologist and reproductive biologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, was just 10 when her life took a sudden turn.
“I felt like someone was taking a washcloth and ringing it and pulling it to get out the absolute last ounce of water possible and then stabbing me,” she recalled.
Some doctors called it growing pains. Others said it was all in her head.
“I felt so alone, felt so unknown,” Prof. Burns told Ivanhoe.
It wasn’t until college that she finally learned the cause.
“I went and I had five different surgeries for endometriosis. I’ve done chemical menopause, I’ve done hypnosis, I’ve done acupuncture, I’ve done all kinds of diet changes,” Prof. Burns explained.
When more surgery became too dangerous, doctors prescribed a progestin IUD and extensive pelvic physical therapy. But Prof. Burns didn’t stop there — she turned her struggle into science.
“My ability to study saved me and saved my life, really,” she said.
At the University of Cincinnati, Prof. Burns studies how the immune system and environmental chemicals contribute to endometriosis. Until now, surgery has been the only way to confirm the disease. But her lab is developing what they believe will be the first at-home diagnostic test.
“What we wanna do is set and develop a kit where we’re able to send the menstrual fluid back to a lab from the patient and be analyzed in the laboratory,” Prof. Burns explained.
No surgery required. Early studies show the test is up to 95-99% accurate.
“Finally, let’s make some changes. Let’s do something,” Prof. Burns told Ivanhoe.
Currently, it takes on average seven years to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. This at-home diagnostic kit could cut that to months. The test is now in the patenting stage and could be prescribed by doctors within a few years, offering a long-overdue breakthrough for millions of women worldwide.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer, & Roque Correa, Editor.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9127440/
https://harvardpolitics.com/increase-funding-on-womens-health/
* For More Information, Contact: Katie Burns, PhD
Toxicologist and Reproductive Biologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
and
Megan Burgasser
Public Information Officer at the University of Cincinnati
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