The endometrial epigenome and its response to steroid hormones

The human endometrium undergoes cyclic morphological and functional changes during the menstrual cycle. These changes are driven mainly by steroid hormones and orchestrated by a myriad of genes – many of which have been identified recently as being epigenetically regulated. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone acetylations, are shown recently to be involved in functional changes in endometrium and endometrial diseases. Since epigenetics itself is a rapidly evolving field, this review starts with an overview of epigenetics and its intrinsic connections with endometrial response to steroid hormones, highlighting its various levels of complexities. This is followed by a review of published and unpublished work on “writers”, “erasers”, and other players of endometrial epigenome. In the end, areas in need for future research in this area will be exposed.