Research progress on endometrium decidualization

Pregnancy is a complex physiological process, and the development of fetus in maternal body is accurately regulated at the cellular and molecular level. During pregnancy, the endometrial stromal cells transform into specialized secretory decidual cells termed as decidualization, to provide a nutritive and immune privileged matrix essential for embryo implantation and placental development. During this process, a series of dynamic developmental events, including rapid stromal proliferation, increased stromal cell size, enhanced angiogenesis, took place in a highly ordered manner under the precise regulation of steroid hormones. Meanwhile, diverse molecules exhibit spatiotemporal specific expression pattern, implying their unique roles in decidual development. To achieve a more comprehensive understanding of these biological events and explore the underlying causes of early pregnancy disorders, this review emphasizes on the detailed developmental progression of decidual transformation and related molecules, to provide more theoretical basis on pregnancy-related diseases. Key words: Endometrium; Decidualization; Endometrial stromal cells; Implantation