Prostaglandin E2-mediated aging microenvironment fuels pathogenic fibrosis in cesarean section scar defect
- EMBO Mol Med. 2026 Oct 2. doi: 10.1038/s44321-026-00521-6.
- 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- 2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
- 3. National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, China. [email protected].
- 4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
- # Contributed equally.
With the increasing rates of cesarean section (CS), cesarean section scar defect (CSD) has become an escalating clinical concern due to uterine dysfunction and reduced fertility. However, the biological basis of CSD remains poorly understood, particularly the mechanisms of impaired uterine repair after CS and the causes of failure in conventional repair surgeries. This study integrates metabolomics, transcriptomics, a newly developed mouse model, and functional assays to elucidate the complex interplay between senescence and fibrosis in CSD. Our findings identify upregulation of the PGES/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) axis as a key upstream event that disrupts uterine healing. Elevated PGE2 preferentially induces early senescence of Macrophages, which transmit pro-senescent signals to uterine fibroblasts through IL-1β/IL-1R signaling. This sequential senescence cascade drives excessive fibroblast activation and progressive fibrosis, ultimately impairing uterine structure and function. In mouse CS models, inhibition of the PGES/PGE2 pathway and Anti-aging strategies significantly attenuate fibrosis and restore coordinated myometrial and endometrial repair. Our findings uncover a macrophage-fibroblast senescence relay to fibrotic scar formation in CSD and provide a translational rationale for targeting PGE2 signaling and senescence to improve uterine repair after CS.
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Cat. No.Product NameDescriptionTargetResearch Area
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Research Areas: Cancer
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target: PGE synthaseResearch Areas: Inflammation/Immunology