TCH and BCM launching uterine transplant clinical trial to treat infertility

Homa Shalchi, Communications Associate | Baylor College of Medicine
713-798-4710 | homa.shalchi@bcm.edu

Katie Kolls, Public Relations Senior Specialist | Texas Children’s Hospital
832.824.2193 | kxkolls@texaschildrens.org

A new clinical trial is underway at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine that will give women with absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI) – a nonfunctioning uterus or the absence of a uterus altogether – the chance to carry and deliver a baby to term through the gift of organ donation.

The trial will address the effectiveness of treating AUFI using uterine transplantation, from either a living or deceased donor, and 10 recipients and 10 donors will be enrolled. The study involves a multi-disciplinary collaboration at Texas Children's Hospital between world renowned transplant experts, fertility specialists, and OB/GYN surgeons at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women.

“This trial has the potential to allow women who thought pregnancy was not an option the experience and joy of carrying a child,” said Dr. John A. Goss, Medical Director of Transplant Services at Texas Children’s Hospital and Professor and Chief, Division of Abdominal Transplantation at Baylor College of Medicine. “The gift of life is something our team celebrates daily, and this is just another way we are extending hope through transplantation.”

The entire process, including transplantation, fertilization, as well as prenatal care and delivery will occur at Texas Children's Hospital.

The first uterine transplant occurred in 2014, and since then approximately 80 transplants have been performed worldwide. So far 34 children have been born from mothers who received a donated uterus.

Trial recipients must have at least one functioning ovary, range in age from 20- to 40-years-old, and be willing to undergo in-vitro fertilization to obtain viable embryos, or have banked viable embryos previously, among other inclusion criteria.

Donors must be between 25- and 65-years of age, have a normal uterine anatomy, and have had at least one full-term live birth previously. Living donors must undergo a comprehensive evaluation.

“Texas Children’s Hospital is home to many groundbreaking medical advancements that benefit women and children,” said Dr. Michael Belfort, OB/GYN-in-Chief at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women and Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine. “And this program is another indication of our vision to innovate and push the boundaries of science forward. Uterine transplantation offers new hope to patients without a functional uterus who desire to carry and deliver a baby of their own. While this is not an option for everyone, there are many patients for whom uterine transplantation may be a consideration.”

To learn more about this trial, including additional eligibility requirements click here.