Human Myometrial and Uterine Fibroid Stem Cell-Derived Organoids for Intervening the Pathophysiology of Uterine Fibroid

Abstract

Abstract Uterine fibroids (UFs) (leiomyomas or myomas) are the most common clonal neoplasms of the uterus in women of reproductive age worldwide. UFs originate from myometrium consist of smooth muscle and fibroblast components, in addition to a substantial amount of fibrous extracellular matrix which all contribute to the pathogenetic process. Current treatments are primarily limited to surgical and interventional. Here, we have established a novel and promising organoid model from both normal and patient myometrial stem cells (MMSCs). MMSCs embedded in Matrigel in stem cell media swiftly formed organoids which successfully proliferate and self-organized into complex structures developing a sustainable organoid culture that maintain their capacity to differentiate into the different cell types recapitulating their tissue of origin and shows responsiveness to the reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone). Gene expression analysis and structural features indicated the early onset of uterine fibrosis led to the accumulation of extracellular matrix suggesting the potential use of this model in better understanding of the pathophysiology associated with UFs and inventing novel therapeutics for the treatment of UFs.