Overview
- Babraham Institute and Stanford researchers built a 3D endometrium from donated epithelial and stromal cells in a hydrogel scaffold that mimics tissue architecture and hormone responsiveness.
- Donated IVF embryos adhered, invaded, secreted hCG, and progressed to post‑implantation stages up to the 12–14 day research limit within the model.
- Single‑cell profiling at implantation sites mapped molecular communication at the embryo–endometrium interface, revealing signals that coordinate early development.
- Chemical blockade of a specific signaling pathway caused severe defects in placenta‑forming tissue, demonstrating the system’s use for causal testing.
- Separate teams in China reported comparable models and drug screens using patient‑derived organoids, identifying candidate compounds that increased implantation in recurrent implantation failure samples.