Scientists develop less invasive method to create endometriosis models

Researchers have successfully developed a new method for creating a mouse model of endometriosis using stored tissue from human chocolate cysts, offering a simpler and less invasive approach for studying the chronic gynecological disease.

Endometriosis, which affects roughly one in ten women, occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing pain and infertility. Research has been hindered by the difficulty of creating accurate animal models, which traditionally rely on tissue obtained from invasive laparoscopic surgeries.

This new protocol, detailed in a study published in Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, addresses that challenge. Scientists used cyst aspiration, a minimally invasive needle procedure, to collect chocolate cyst slurry from patients. This slurry was then frozen and stored for a month before being injected into immunodeficient mice.

"The advantage of this model lies in the less invasive method of obtaining donor tissue," explained the research team. "Cyst puncture is simpler, easier, less costly, and quicker to perform than laparotomy."

After two weeks, pathological examination confirmed the presence of endometriotic lesions in the fat tissue of all 12 mice in the study. A key step was verifying that a high percentage of the cells in the stored slurry remained viable and capable of growing after the freezing process.

"The successful development of a mouse endometriosis model from stored chocolate cyst slurry using this protocol is expected to contribute to experimental animal studies," said Dr. Brahmana.

The researchers highlight that this method could significantly accelerate endometriosis research by providing a reliable and accessible way to generate animal models for testing new therapies and understanding the disease, especially in situations where accessing fresh surgical tissue is difficult.