Morphophysical dynamics of human endometrial cells during decidualization

After fertilization, the stromal cells of the endometrium experience a process called decidualization, which consists in a mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) as the result of an enhanced expression of progesterone and cAMP. These endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) experienced physical alterations because of the decidualization, which were studied using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). This study showed that decidualized endometrial stromal cells own a lower stiffness and roughness compare to the ESCs. The acquisition of these properties could be important for the implantation stage during pregnancy, letting decidual ESCs act as an invasion-limiting barrier to contain the advance of the blastocyst and being a supportive structures that sustain the blastocyst avoiding miscarriages.243