BIOENGINEERING FUNCTIONAL AUTOLOGOUS UTERINE TISSUE IN A RABBIT MODEL

Abstract

Absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI) is the inability to conceive caused by congenital or acquired uterine diseases, affecting 1 in 500 reproductive age women. Despite advancements in assisted reproductive technologies, the options for these women to achieve motherhood are limited to adoption or the use of gestational carriers. The transplantation of a donor uterus has been investigated in animal models and ultimately in patients as a potential curative therapy for AUFI; however, this approach is associated with concerns regarding organ donor shortage and the need for long-term immunosuppression therapy. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have emerged as novel therapeutic strategies that offer the potential for developing biological substitutes to restore uterine tissue structure and function in women with AUFI.