University of Cambridge scientists have successfully grown a functional model of the lining of the uterus, advancing the understanding of how the body works in the early stages of pregnancy or in those suffering from endometriosis.

Published in Nature Cell Biology, the study showcases how researchers from the University of Cambridge's Centre for Trophoblast Research grew organoids in a culture from cells of  endometrial tissue. The organoids were able to react to female sex hormones by secreting ‘uterine milk’ proteins responsible for nourishing embryos.

"These organoids 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 Margherita Turco, the study's first author. "These events are impossible to capture in a woman, so until now we have had to rely on animal studies."

By gaining insight into the earliest stages of pregnancy, researchers, led by Graham Burton, Director of the Centre for Trophoblast Research and joint senior author, hope the organoids will provide information on how the conceptus communicates with glands and the secretion of proteins.

"Events in early pregnancy lay the foundations for a successful birth, and our new technique should provide a window into this event," said Burton. "There's increasing evidence that complications of pregnancy, such as restricted growth of the fetus, stillbirth and pre-eclampsia—which appear later in pregnancy—have their origins around the time of implantation, when the placenta begins to develop."