Women's business reveals path to scar-free healing
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Fresh Scientist Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino has won the 2009 Cosmopolitan Fun, Fearless, Female, Women of Science – and a $10,000 cheque. She rose over celebrities, athletes, writers, designers and others in the reader-voted competition (http://freshscience.org.au/). The following is her story.
Healing without scars and more effective therapy for women with period problems — those are possibilities raised by the research of
Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino (Tu’hu for short, pronounced Tu hay) at Prince Henry’s
Institute and Monash University. She has identified the key cells in the immune
system important for restoration of the lining of the uterus after menstruation.
“Up to one in 10 Australian women suffer from problems with their monthly
period,” Kaitu’u says. “Heavy, prolonged or unusually frequent vaginal bleeding
affects women’s quality of life and is a leading reason they seek medical
advice. In addition, understanding the unique ability of the uterus to heal
without scarring could be applied to helping burns victims and improving
cosmetic procedures,” says Kaitu’u.
 Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino examining research Photograph: Greg Ford and Melissa Di Ciero, photographic unit, Monash University |
Treating menstrual bleeding problems requires a better knowledge of normal
menstruation, when the endometrium or uterus lining disintegrates each month and
then heals. “Inadequate endometrial healing could result in the abnormal
bleeding some women experience,” Kaitu’u says.
But there’s a real difficulty with studying the process at this level. Of all
animals, only women and a few species of monkey menstruate. Neither group can
easily be used for experimental work. So, for their studies, the researchers
found a way to induce menstruation in mice. “The mouse model allows us to
closely examine the mechanisms of menstruation; impossible in humans,” said Lois
Salamonsen, director of the Uterine Biology Group at Prince Henry’s.
Using the menstruating mice, Kaitu’u discovered that a major group of immune
system cells better known for fighting infection is involved in endometrial
healing — the white blood cells known as neutrophils. They begin to appear
within the endometrium as soon as menstruation starts. Kaitu’u eliminated
neutrophils from the mice using a chemical which tells the body to destroy them.
This treatment delayed repair of the uterine lining in more than half her
animals. Discovering the importance of neutrophils in uterine healing provides
new insights into the body’s repair mechanisms. The work was considered so
important, it was published earlier this year in the renowned medical research
journal Cell and Tissue Research.
Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino is one of 16 early-career scientists who presented their
research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national
program sponsored by the Federal and Victorian Governments.
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