Thomas E Spencer

The mammalian uterus contains glands in the endometrium that develop only or primarily after birth. In the mouse, endometrial glands govern post implantation pregnancy establishment via regulation of blastocyst implantation, stromal cell de…

Endometriosis, characterized by the growth of uterine-like tissue outside the uterus, causes chronic pain and infertility. Current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have notable limitations, including delayed diagnosis and adverse effec…

Embryo implantation is a critical event in the establishment of pregnancy, and implantation failure is a major cause of pregnancy loss in women. Coordinated, cell-type specific responses to the ovarian steroid hormones, estrogen, and proges…

BACKGROUND: The financial strain fertility issues cause the dairy cattle industry is substantial, with over $7 billion in lost revenue accrued annually due to a relatively low cow conception rate (CCR; 30-43%) for US dairy cows. While CCR h…

The uterine epithelium is composed of a single layer of hormone responsive polarized epithelial cells that line the lumen and form tubular glands. Endometrial epithelial organoids (EEO) can be generated from uterine epithelia and recapitula…

Postnatal development of the uterus involves specification of undifferentiated epithelium into uterine-type epithelium. That specification is regulated by stromal-epithelial interactions as well as intrinsic cell-specific transcription fact…

The uterus is vital for successful reproduction in mammals, and two different types of epithelia (luminal and glandular) are essential for embryo implantation and pregnancy establishment. However, the essential cellular and molecular factor…

For pregnancy to be established, uterine cells respond to the ovarian hormones, estrogen, and progesterone, via their nuclear receptors, the estrogen receptor (ESR1) and progesterone receptor (PGR). ESR1 and PGR regulate genes by binding ch…

Endometrial health is affected by molecular processes that underlie estrogen responses. We assessed estrogen regulation of endometrial function by integrating the estrogen receptor α (ESR1) cistromes and transcriptomes of endometrial biopsi…

Suboptimal uterine fluid (UF) composition can lead to pregnancy loss and likely contributes to offspring susceptibility to chronic adult-onset disorders. However, our understanding of the biochemical composition and mechanisms underpinning …

The endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus that undergoes complex regeneration and differentiation during the human menstrual cycle. The process of endometrial shedding, regeneration, and differentiation is driven by ovarian steroid …

CONTEXT: Poor uterine receptivity is one major factor leading to pregnancy loss and infertility. Understanding the molecular events governing successful implantation is hence critical in combating infertility. OBJECTIVE: To define Progeste…

The pioneer forkhead box (FOX)A2 transcription factor is specifically expressed in the glands of the uterus, which are central to endometrial function and fertility. In mice, FOXA2 is a critical regulator of uterine gland development in the…

This study investigated bovine conceptus-induced modifications to the endometrial transcriptome related to effects of interferon tau (IFNT), conceptus origin (in vivo vs. in vitro), and conceptus sex. In vitro (IVF) or in vivo (superovulati…

The human endometrium is essential in providing the site for implantation and maintaining the growth and survival of the conceptus. An unreceptive endometrium and disrupted maternal-conceptus interactions can cause infertility due to pregna…

All mammalian uteri contain glands in the endometrium that develop only or primarily after birth. Gland development or adenogenesis in the postnatal uterus is intrinsically regulated by proliferation, cell-cell interactions, growth factors …

Forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) is a pioneer transcription factor involved in organ development, function, and cancer. In the uterus, FOXA2 is essential for pregnancy and expressed specifically in the glands of the endometrium. Loss of FOXA2 functi…

Establishment of pregnancy is a critical event, and failure of embryo implantation and stromal decidualization in the uterus contribute to significant numbers of pregnancy losses in women. Glands of the uterus are essential for establishmen…

Infertility and subfertility negatively impact the economics and reproductive performance of cattle. Of note, significant pregnancy loss occurs in cattle during the first month of pregnancy, yet little is known about the genetic loci influe…

Leaders gathered at the US National Institutes of Health in November 2014 to discuss recent advances and emerging research areas in aspects of maternal-fetal immunity that may affect fetal development and pregnancy success.

Uterine glands and their secretions are indispensable for endometrial function and fertility; however, the mechanisms regulating their development and function are not well understood. Forkhead transcription factor box A2 (FOXA2) is uniquel…

Implantation and the establishment of pregnancy in mammals involves an intricate interplay of hormones, cytokines, growth factors, proteins, lipids, ions and the extracellular matrix between the uterine epithelium, stroma, immune cells and …

The ovarian steroid progesterone, acting through the progesterone receptor (PR), coordinates endometrial epithelial-stromal cell communication, which is critical for its development and function. PR expression in these cellular compartments…

Uterine receptivity to implantation varies among species, and involves changes in expression of genes that are coordinate with attachment of trophectoderm to uterine lumenal and superficial glandular epithelia, modification of phenotype of …