Toward human uterus tissue engineering: Uterine decellularization in a non-human primate species.

Introduction: Uterus bioengineering offers a potential treatment option for women with uterine factor infertility and for mitigating the risk of uterine rupture associated with women with defective uterine tissue. Decellularized uterine tissue scaffolds proved promising in further in vivo experiments in rodent and domestic species animal models. Variations in the extracellular matrix composition among different species and adaptations of the decellularization protocols make it difficult to compare the results between studies.

Intestinal mucosal perfusion and integrity are maintained in hypotensive brain dead mice.

Brain death (BD) leads to complex hemodynamic and inflammatory alterations which may compromise organ perfusion and induce morphologic and functional damage in various organs. The intestine is particularly sensitive to hypoperfusion and donor hypotension usually precludes intestinal donation. Previous studies reported inflammatory intestinal changes following BD but information on mucosal integrity and perfusion are lacking.

Transplantation of a bioengineered tissue patch promotes uterine repair in the sheep.

Innovative bioengineering strategies utilizing extracellular matrix (ECM) based scaffolds derived from decellularized tissue offer new prospects for restoring damaged uterine tissue. Despite successful fertility restoration in small animal models, the translation to larger and more clinically relevant models have not yet been assessed. Thus, our study investigated the feasibility to use a 6 cm graft constructed from decellularized sheep uterine tissue, mimicking a future application to repair a uterine defect in women.

Advances of xenogeneic ovarian extracellular matrix hydrogels for in vitro follicle development and oocyte maturation.

Research aimed at preserving female fertility is increasingly using bioengineering techniques to develop new platforms capable of supporting ovarian cell function in vitro and in vivo. Natural hydrogels (alginate, collagen, and fibrin) have been the most exploited approaches; however they are biologically inert and/or biochemically simple. Thus, establishing a suitable biomimetic hydrogel from decellularized ovarian cortex (OC) extracellular matrix (OvaECM) could provide a complex native biomaterial for follicle development and oocyte maturation.

Human umbilical cord platelet-rich plasma to treat endometrial pathologies: methodology, composition and pre-clinical models.

Study Question: Can human umbilical cord platelet-rich plasma (hUC-PRP) efficiently treat endometrial damage and restore fertility in a preclinical murine model?

Summary Answer: Local application of hUC-PRP promotes tissue regeneration and fertility restoration in a murine model of Asherman syndrome and endometrial atrophy (AS/EA).

What Is Known Already: AS/EA are well-described endometrial pathologies that cause infertility; however, there are currently no gold-standard treatments available. Recent reports have described the successful use of human platelet-rich plasma in reproductive medicine, and its regenerative potential is further enhanced using hUC-PRP, due to the ample growth factors and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines in the latter.