Table 2. Overview of in vitro studies on endometriosis tissues demonstrating the presence of fibrotic markers.

The table outlines the type of endometriosis tissue used, specific fibrotic markers evaluated, and key pathways. This compilation highlights the contributions of in vitro systems in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying fibrosis in endometriosis.

Sample type	Fibrosis associated markers	Pathway	References
OE/Ovarian cysts	Collagen I, α-SMA, Fibronectin	TGF-β1/Smad signaling	109
DIE or OE	α-SMA, collagen I, CTGF	Wnt/β-catenin signaling	110
DIE with or without OE	AKT and ERK	AKT and ERK signaling	111
Endometriotic ectopic implants	α-SMA, collagen I	ADAM17/Notch signaling	112
OE or DIE	α-SMA, N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, Slug, Desmin, Fibronectin, LOX, PAI1	TGF-β1, PDGF, Wnt/β-catenin	113
OE	α-SMA, COL1A1, CTGF, FN	mTOR signaling	99
OE	GLI3, HOXA10 and HOXA9, MAPK8 (JNK1), GATA2, ETS2	TGF-β signaling, MAPK signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway	114
Endometriomas	FAK, MCP1, TGF-β1, α-SMA	PI3K/Akt and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathways	115

OE - Ovarian endometrioma, DIE - Deep infiltrating endometriosis, Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGF-β1) Pathway, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) Pathway, Wnt/β-catenin Pathway, α-SMA (alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin), COL1A1 (Collagen Type I Alpha 1 Chain), CTGF (Connective Tissue Growth Factor), FN (Fibronectin), rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, GLI3: GLI Family Zinc Finger 3, HOXC8, HOXA9 and A10: Homeobox C8 and A10, MAPK8: Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8 (also known as JNK1), ETS2: ETS Proto-Oncogene 2, Transcription Factor, GATA2: GATA Binding Protein 2, FAK (Focal Adhesion Kinase), TFAP2C: Transcription Factor AP-2 Gamma, PRDM1: PR/SET Domain 1 (also known as BLIMP-1).