Man-made womb lining may better reveal menstrual problems

Scientists have succeeded in growing a man-made womb lining in the lab, paving the way for new insights into the early stages of pregnancy and menstrual problems.

The womb was cultured in a dish from cells taken using tissue from the endometrium - the mucosal lining of the uterus - reproducing the endometrial gene patterns and maintaining the womb for several months.

The findings may help understand the early stages of pregnancy and conditions such as endometriosis - a painful condition that affects 176 million women worldwide.

The wombs also respond to female sex hormones and early pregnancy signals, secreting what are collectively known as 'uterine milk' proteins that nourish the embryo during the first months of pregnancy "These wombs provide a major step forward in investigating the changes that occur during the menstrual cycle and events during early pregnancy when the placenta is established," said a lead author from the University of Cambridge.

There is increasing evidence that complications of pregnancy, such as restricted growth of the foetus and stillbirth have their origins around the time of implantation, when the placenta begins to develop. The study will also help researchers to model and understand cancer of the uterus and endometriosis.