Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease affecting about 10% of women of reproductive age, which is still poorly understood. A role of iron has been proposed. In endometriosis, iron accumulation can occur within endometrial lesions and peritoneal macrophages. This project aimed at investigating by XRF microscopy and XANES the iron migration and its chemical state in the invading endometrium, as well as to monitor the possible appearance of environmental chemical elements. The analyses will expand actual knowledge and could suggest therapeutic interventions.

The environment is contaminated with numerous pollutants, such as heavy metals, microplastics (MPs), perfluorinated organic compounds, and pesticides, which toxicity and harmful impacts on human health, also related with gestational life, presents a critical emerging area for research. To start investigating this, we propose model MPs, labeled with cadmium-selenide quantum dots to provide new data on cell-MPs accumulation and toxicity in a human placenta cell line (BeWo cells) taking advantages of synchrotron radiation X-ray elemental imaging, combine to light fluorescence microscopy. We apply for 12 shifts at ID21 and 9 shifts at ID16A.

PhotoBioModulation (PBM) is a novel treatment that exploits laser light at 600-1000 nm to produce analgesia in many clinical conditions. Although PMB use is established, the mechanism of action oi still poorly understood. Evidences indicate that PBM in sensory neurons modulates calcium influx induced by a noxious stimulus. To complement results obtained with conventional studies, the present proposal aims at using XRF microscopy for studying calcium distribution in sensory neurons, before and after laser light stimulation. The analyses will help to improve the understanding and thus the clinical use of PMB for pain