Investigation of patient-derived endometriosis in a 3D-in-vivo-model

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model was used to establish a 3D-in-vivo-model for the investigation of endometriosis. Endometriosis tissue was obtained from patients undergoing surgery at an EndoCert certified hospital.

Changes in the vascularization of the engrafted tissue on the CAM were measured over time using laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA). The fertilized chicken eggs used for the CAM model were stratified for their gender utilizing an in ovo sexing technique. To test for changes of molecular markers throughout the engraftment period, immunohistochemical staining was performed. Patient-related data was analyzed in retrospect using the AGEM questionnaire.

Preliminary data show an increase in vascularization of the engrafted tissue on the CAM. The analysis of Ki67 shows proliferative activity of endometriosis cells at the end of the experiment. The comparative results between laboratory and clinical data and the effect of chicken estrogen on the investigated endometriosis tissue are under current investigation. Summary: Angiogenesis as one of the major pathologic features of endometriosis can be measured in the 3D-in-vivo-model via an increase in vascularization. As the patient-derived tissue remained vital the model can potentially be used for the testing of drugs and their effect on proliferation, angiogenesis, and molecular markers, amongst others. Publication History Article published online: 01 October 2024 © 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany