Medical management of endometriosis: Novel targets and approaches towards the development of future treatment regimes

Endometriosis remains an enigmatic disease in women of reproductive age. Current treatment regimes used to manage the disease are primarily designed to induce a hypoestrogenic state which leads to a reduction in disease and associated symptoms. While these regimes have been used with great success, there are still drawbacks and limitations to these types of therapies. In this review, we address the shortcomings of current drugs used to medically manage endometriosis and offer potential target areas which may be attractive alternatives to current therapies. Emphasis is placed upon the promising research using tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in this context. Further, we discuss the advantages of such therapies and offer experimental approaches towards the development and testing of these regimes. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.