UEDIN and partner AQUILA will explore how the peripheral inflammatory environment in endometriosis causes pain. The team has previously used a mouse model of endometriosis using syngeneic menstrual endometrial tissue introduced into the peritoneum of immunocompetent mice to understand the origin of macrophages present in endometriosis lesions (66) and to demonstrate a role for estradiol in regulating both neuroangiogenesis (67) and neuroinflammation (Greaves et al, in press) in endometriosis. UEDIN will use these mice to explore the dynamics of macrophages present in endometriosis lesions and how these cells may contribute to the inflammatory milieu. Analysis techniques will include confocal and multi-photon intra-vital imaging, gene expression analysis and behavioural assessments. We will use in vitro systems to explore how the peripheral inflammatory environment observed in endometriosis influences specific cell types (macrophages and sensory neurons). Analysis techniques will include fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS), gene expression analysis, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and calcium assays.