Translational animal models for endometriosis research: a long and windy road

Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent disease affecting 5–10% of women in reproductive age (1). Although it can be asymptomatic in a minority of the cases, the main symptoms and signs include chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, pain during intercourse, abnormal uterine bleeding and infertility, which may cause severe impact on patient’s psychological wellbeing and quality of life (2).