PFC Infertility Doctor Blog

A woman who was born without a uterus gave birth to a baby last year, thanks to a uterus transplant—the first of its kind in the U.S., where a handful of programs are conducting experimental uterine transplants.¹

Surgeons are working to perfect their techniques—to ensure they are safe, ethical, and efficient—in the hopes of making motherhood a reality for women who may have never dreamed it could be possible for them.

When women lack a uterus. Women who are candidates for a uterus transplant have what’s called absolute uterine factor infertility (AUI). This means they either lack a uterus—sometimes since birth—or their uterus doesn’t function correctly—sometimes from infection or damage during surgery. AUI affects thousands of women, as many as 1 in 5 hundred reproductive-aged women.²

With the ability to create artificial organs that function and restore health, bioengineering has entered a “wow” era. Among those leading this field is a team of researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago, including assistant professor Monica M. Laronda, PhD, who recently presented research results on this topic at the PCRS Annual Meeting.

Bioprosthetic ovaries. Dr. Laronda and colleagues are researching ways to create implantable bioprosthetic ovaries for women with primary ovarian insufficiency and to engineer organs that support sex hormone production. The researchers were recently successful in developing techniques in mice that lay the groundwork for creating a human 3D printed ovary.¹