Project descpription:
Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of fertile women, causing significant pain and infertility, yet non-invasive diagnostic tools remain inadequate. […] This project aims to address these challenges by developing a novel diagnostic approach using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). PET offers higher resolution and sensitivity for detecting and characterizing tissues. Recent research has shown that endometriotic lesions are rich in relaxed fibronectin (Fn), particularly in the stroma and areas of reactive fibrosis. Preliminary studies have successfully stained Fn in endometriotic tissues, suggesting it could serve as a promising target for PET imaging. The project proposes a detailed analysis of several extracellular matrix proteins, including relaxed fibronectin, fibroblast activation protein (FAP), matrix metalloproteinases, and integrins, using immunohistochemistry. These markers will be correlated with MRI and ultrasound findings, as well as intraoperative observations and histopathology results. The goal is to identify an optimal target for PET imaging that can differentiate active, painful endometriotic tissue from scar tissue, thereby improving preoperative lesion localization and surgical planning. This approach could potentially allow for earlier, more accurate diagnosis, better patient management, and improved pain relief after surgery.
About Bastian Schultz:
Bastian Schulz, 31, has been working as an assistant physician at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Zurich since 2020. In 2023, he completed a research year in radiology at Kantonsspital Baden, during which he published three papers and one case report as first author and contributed to a industrial whitepaper. Since June 2024, he has been in a rotational year in pathology at Kantonsspital Baden. Alongside his work in pathology, he is involved in the Endometriosis Project, a multidisciplinary collaboration between the departments of radiology, nuclear medicine, and gynecology at Kantonsspital Baden, in partnership with PSI and ETH Zürich.
Involved institutions:
