Developing Mouse Xenograft Model for Uterine Fibroids Treatment

Background: Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are common benign tumors found in 75 to 80 percent of women and accounts for over 200,000 hysterectomies annually in the U.S. The development of uterine fibroids involves two processes, the fibrotic transformation of uterine smooth-muscle cells and the clonal growth and expansion of a transformed cell into a tumor. Development of medical therapies for uterine fibroids has been hampered by the lack of preclinical models with which to test drugs that may block the growth of the fibroid tumors.

Technology Description: Scientists at UC San Diego have developed a novel mouse xenograft model for human uterine fibroids that establishes a method to grow primary human uterine fibroid tissues in immune compromised mice. The invention achieves the engraftment of the fibroid tissues, but not normal myometrial tissues, thus distinguishing between the pathological growth of fibroid tissues and the normal growth of the myometrial tissues.

Advantages:

  1. The model can be used to distinguish between fibroid versus normal uterine tissues.
  2. The model allows for the tracking of xenograft growth in immune compromised mice via bioluminiscence imaging.
  3. The invention provides an in vivo model to study the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids.

The invention also provides an in vivo model to study the response of human uterine fibroids to drugs, thus enabling the development of medical (non-surgical) therapies for uterine fibroids.

Applications: The model can be used for the testing of various cell growth inhibitors to determine their effects on fibroid growth in an in vivo setting, which is a critical step in the pre-clinical development of medical therapies for uterine fibroids.

Intellectual Property Information: Provisional application filed.

Case Number: SD2009-207

Inquiries To: invent@ucsd.edu