瑞士弗里德里希·米歇尔生物医学研究所Margherita Yayoi Turco小组近日取得一项新成果。经过不懈努力，他们开发出使用类器官的体外月经周期捕获月经期间上皮细胞的转变和人子宫内膜的再生。相关论文于2026年4月28日发表于国际顶尖学术期刊《细胞—干细胞》杂志上。

该课题组人员以人类子宫内膜类器官为主题，建立了一个体外月经周期（IVMC）方案，该方案概括了周期性上皮动力学。研究组通过组织学、转录组学和多重分泌蛋白分析，对跨越月经窗口的体内样本进行基准测试，验证了IVMC。在月经期间，体内腔上皮获得了明显的转录组特征，其特征是WNT7A的表达。WNT7A的缺失影响了类器官的长期存活，凸显了其功能的重要性。再生相关的管腔上皮通过与脉管系统的相互作用在再生过程中充当信号中枢。这项工作为剖析子宫内膜在健康和疾病中的独特再生程序开辟了新的途径。

研究人员表示，月经是一个非自然的过程，在这个过程中，人类子宫内膜经历了周期性的脱落和无疤痕的再生。尽管它在生殖健康中起着关键作用，但细胞状态和协调这一过程的相互作用仍然不清楚，这主要是由于缺乏体外系统来捕捉无法进入的子宫周围窗口。

附：英文原文

Title: An in vitro menstrual cycle using organoids captures epithelial cell transitions during menstruation and regeneration of the human endometrium

Author: Konstantina Nikolakopoulou, Weand Ybaez, Lhéanna Klaeylé, Lisa Frugoli, Tereza Cindrova-Davies, Hans-Rudolf Hotz, Charlotte Soneson, Margherita Yayoi Turco

Issue&Volume: 2026-04-28

Abstract: Menstruation is an unusual process in which the human endometrium undergoes cyclical shedding with scarless regeneration. Despite its pivotal role in reproductive health, the cellular states and interactions orchestrating this process remain poorly defined, largely due to the lack of in vitro systems that capture the inaccessible perimenstrual window. We use human endometrial organoids to establish an in vitro menstrual cycle (IVMC) protocol that recapitulates cyclical epithelial dynamics. We validate the IVMC by benchmarking against in vivo samples spanning the menstrual window through histology, transcriptomic, and multiplex secreted-protein analysis. During menstruation, the in vivo luminal epithelium acquires a distinct transcriptomic signature, characterized by WNT7A expression. Loss of WNT7A compromises long-term organoid survival, highlighting its functional importance. The regeneration-associated luminal epithelium acts as a signaling hub during regeneration through interactions with the vasculature. This work opens new avenues to dissect the unique regenerative program of the endometrium in health and disease.

DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2026.04.005

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/abstract/S1934-5909(26)00145-1