White Paper: Redefining Fibroid Research with Human-Derived Cell Models

Authors: Amber L. Cramer, Morgan M. Stanton*
Opal Therapeutics, 135 Mississippi St., San Francisco, CA 94107

Introduction

Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas) are benign smooth muscle tumors that develop within the myometrium, leading to chronic pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia, and infertility [1,2]. Despite affecting up to 10-30% of women of reproductive age and contributing to an estimated $42.2 billion in annual U.S. economic burden, fibroids remain under-researched, limiting the tools available for pharmaceutical development [3]. A major bottleneck in this field is the lack of reliable, human-relevant preclinical models. Most fibroid research still relies on rodent systems, which fail to recapitulate the genetic, hormonal, and structural complexity of the human uterus resulting in poor clinical translatability.

To address this gap, Opal Therapeutics has developed a suite of human-derived in vitro models for early-stage R&D in women’s health, including both 2D and 3D systems for studying fibroid biology…

See link below for full Opal Therapeutics White Paper