6.8 Conclusion
The development of uterine receptivity depends on the action of progesterone through the PR. Blocking or modulating the effect of progesterone through PR antagonists, modulators or agonists provide new insight into the role of progesterone as well as on the nature of endometrial receptivity and provides the ground for the development of new treatment options for infertility and contraception.
A number of biochemical or morphological markers, whose expression coincides with the downregulation of progesterone receptors and the development of receptivity, have been studied. The expression of some of these suggested that markers of receptivity are altered in women with unexplained infertility, delayed endometrial development or endometriosis. Some of these local factors have been shown to be necessary for implantation to occur in animal studies. PR modulators and PR blockers offer a tool to study the complex nature of endometrial receptivity. Furthermore antiprogesterone like mifepristone has been shown to be highly effective to inhibit endometrial receptivity and implantation.
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Gemzell-Danielsson, K., Bygdeman, M. (2005). Effects of Progestogens on Endometrial Maturation in the Implantation Phase. In: Croxatto, H.B., Schürmann, R., Fuhrmann, U., Schellschmidt, I. (eds) New Mechanisms for Tissue-Selective Estrogen-Free Contraception. Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop, vol 52. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27147-3_6
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