Keio University to Consider Groundbreaking Uterine Transplant Research

Keio University announced on Thursday that its ethics committee has approved a groundbreaking clinical research project involving uterine transplants for women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. This rare condition affects women born without a uterus, preventing them from carrying a pregnancy.

The research proposal, the first of its kind in Japan, aims to recruit three women in their 20s or 30s with MRKH syndrome. The process would involve in vitro fertilization using the women's eggs and their partners' sperm, followed by the transplantation of a uterus from a donor, likely a mother or other relative. The fertilized egg would then be implanted in the transplanted uterus, with the ultimate goal of achieving pregnancy and childbirth.

The research team's application for approval was submitted in November 2021, following a report by the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences in July 2021 that endorsed uterine transplants as a viable clinical research option. The prevalence of MRKH syndrome in Japan is estimated to be one in approximately 4,500 individuals, with around 130 new cases diagnosed annually. The total number of women aged 20 to 39 living with the condition is estimated to be around 3,500.

The success of uterine transplants has been demonstrated internationally, with the first successful birth following the procedure occurring in Sweden in 2014. As of October 2022, 98 uterine transplants have been performed worldwide, resulting in 52 births. Keio University's research team hopes to contribute to this growing body of knowledge and offer new hope to women with MRKH syndrome who desire to experience pregnancy and childbirth.