Inguinal hernias, also known as “groin hernias,” occur when tissue protrudes through a weak area of the abdominal wall.
According to epidemiological data, about 50% of males develop a groin hernia by the age of 75. Indirect hernias are the most prevalent type of groin hernia in both men and women, accounting for two-thirds of all cases. About 10% of all inguinal hernias occur in females, compared to 90% in males. [1,2]
Traditionally, inguinal hernias are treated surgically, which is very common in the USA. Approximately 800,000 inguinal hernia surgeries are performed each year. [1]
A new medical treatment developed by Northwestern University Chicago and its team was published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. This study was carried out on a humanized mouse model, which replicates hernia formation in males, as well as biopsy samples from human males undergoing hernia surgery. [2]
To replicate the elevated estrogen levels seen in older men, the researchers created a humanized mouse model and treated it with the anti-estrogen medication fulvestrant, which is currently approved to treat certain types of breast cancer. Scientists were able to prevent muscle injury and hernia formation by blocking ESR1 in these connective tissue cells. When fulvestrant was used in the study to block ESR1 in the animals, large hernias were reduced, and the mice’s healthy architecture was restored.
In the clinical part of the study, the researchers biopsied each subject twice—once at the hernia site and once from nearby healthy muscle. They discovered that the same molecular indicators seen in the animal model were present in human samples. Further research showed that ESR1 and estrogen trigger a set of genes associated with severe tissue scarring, resembling patterns found in human hernia tissue.
Muscle fibrosis and hernia formation were prevented by fibroblast-specific ESR1 ablation.
Hernias were reversible, and normal muscle structure was restored by pharmacological ESR1 suppression with fulvestrant.
This research has tremendous potential for future medical treatments targeting fibrotic disorders and offers non-surgical options for treating inguinal hernias. [2]
REFERENCES:
Hammoud, Mohamad, and Jeffrey Gerken. 2025. "Inguinal Hernia." In StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing.
Potluri, Tanvi, Tianming You, Ping Yin, John S. Coon V, Jonah J. Stulberg, Yang Dai, David J. Escobar, Richard L. Lieber, Hong Zhao, and Serdar E. Bulun. 2025. "Estrogen Receptor Alpha Ablation Reverses Muscle Fibrosis and Inguinal Hernias." The Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci179137.
"Drug Reverses Groin Hernias in Male Mice without Surgery, Shows Promise in Humans." n.d. Northwestern.edu. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/02/drug-reverses-groin-hernias-in-male-mice-without-surgery-shows-promise-in-humans/?fj=1.
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