Every month, the inner lining of the uterus—the endometrium—breaks down and rebuilds itself. The deeper basal layer remains and is thought to provide the cells and structures that drive this remarkable renewal, but its three-dimensional organisation is still poorly understood. We map the architecture of human endometrial glands and the cells within them to learn how healthy repair works.
reNEW research
We combine three-dimensional microscopy with spatial transcripts dateset. Microscopy reveals the shape of the glands, spatial transcripts identify the different cell types, and 3D images show where those cells sit within the tissue. Bringing these layers together lets us connect form with function and compare glands in the basal and functional layers of the endometrium. By building this detailed map, we aim to identify the cellular types and morphology that support repair and renewal.
Image description
This three-dimensional reconstruction reveals adult human endometrial glands in the basal layer—the part that remains after menstruation and helps rebuild the lining.
Credits
Di Wu, PhD candidate, Chuva de Sousa Lopes lab, reNEW Leiden.
