Developing a Complex ex Vivo Endometrial Tissue Model to Improve Endometriosis Care

Endometriosis is a chronic gynaecological disease characterised by the growth of endometrium outside the uterus. It affects 10% of childbearing age women. There is no cure for endometriosis. Hormonal treatments should be the first line therapy. The benefit-risk ratio of symptomatic treatment with hormone therapy varies greatly from one woman to another. The pathophysiology of endometriosis and the mechanisms of action of these treatments are still poorly understood. This may be due to the lack of an optimal experimental model for studying the disease. The aim of this project is to develop a complex ex vivo endometrial model recapitulating the organisation and properties of the human endometrium using innovative tissue bioengineering methods. This model will make it possible to develop a pre-clinical approach that predicts individual response to different types of hormonal treatment in order to optimise therapeutic choices and provide a better understanding of the effects of these treatments.