Uterine Tissue Engineering: Where We Stand and the Challenges Ahead

Tissue engineering is an innovative approach to develop allogeneic tissues and organs. The uterus is a very sensitive and complex organ, which requires refined techniques to properly regenerate and even, to rebuild itself. Many therapies were developed in 20th century to solve reproductive issues related to uterus failure and, more recently, tissue engineering techniques provided a significant evolution in this issue. Herein we aim to provide a broad overview and highlights of the general concepts involved in bioengineering to reconstruct the uterus and its tissues, focusing on strategies for tissue repair, production of uterine scaffolds, biomaterials and reproductive animal models, highlighting the most recent and effective tissue engineering protocols in literature and their application in regenerative medicine. In addition, we provide a discussion about what was achieved in uterine tissue engineering, the main limitations, the challenges to overcome, and future perspectives in this research field. Impact Statement This review presents the applications of tissue engineering in uterine reconstruction and in regenerative therapies of uterine wall injuries.