Over the past year, more than 370,000 South Koreans sought medical help due to infertility or difficulties conceiving, according to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. This marks a 4.7% increase in infertility treatments and a 16% rise in subfertility treatments compared to 2018. Despite the country’s declining birth rate, more individuals are turning to medical solutions for reproductive challenges.
Infertility can arise from various causes, making it vital to accurately diagnose the issue by considering both partners’ conditions before selecting the right treatment. A critical factor in female infertility is the health of the endometrium — the uterine lining essential for embryo implantation. When the endometrium is too thin, successful embryo attachment becomes unlikely, increasing the risk of miscarriage.
Traditional treatments like hormone therapy and endometrial injections have shown limited success. In response, a research team from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and CHA University has developed a groundbreaking hydrogel that mimics the uterine environment. This gel stimulates regeneration of the endometrium and helps uncover how this regeneration process works.
The interdisciplinary team, led by Professors Dong-Woo Cho and Jinah Jang at POSTECH, along with collaborators from CHA University, created a hydrogel from uterus-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (UdECM). This material closely replicates the natural uterine tissue by removing cellular components but preserving essential biomolecules. Their findings were published in Advanced Functional Materials, a leading journal in materials science.
Decellularized extracellular matrices (dECMs) are widely used in regenerative medicine due to their ability to mimic the body’s natural environment. They have applications in repairing tissues and organs like the heart and kidneys, and in cutting-edge 3D tissue printing.
The newly developed hydrogel combines characteristics from whole uterine tissue and specific layers of the endometrium. Tests on animal models showed that injecting the hydrogel increased endometrial thickness in mice, creating a more receptive environment for embryo implantation. Importantly, the hydrogel demonstrated low toxicity, supporting a 90% survival rate for implanted embryos.
Further investigations revealed that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and its binding protein IGFBP3 play key roles in the endometrial regeneration triggered by the hydrogel. This insight opens new avenues for research into treating uterine disorders. The team also showed that hydrogels made from different uterine tissues could treat various conditions like intrauterine adhesions and repeated implantation failure, paving the way for personalized infertility therapies.
Professor Dong-Woo Cho expressed optimism about the impact of their work, stating, “We have successfully developed a uterine tissue-specific hydrogel that promotes endometrial regeneration and supports successful pregnancy. I believe further clinical research will bring hope to many struggling with infertility.”
This innovative research was supported by the Mid-Career Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Korean Fund for Regenerative Medicine, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
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