Menstrual Fluid in Research and Diagnostics
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterising the cell type composition of menstrual fluid in healthy donors and assaying its value for diagnostics and research through DNA-sequencing and the derivation of endometrial cell cultures.
IRAS ID
221351
Contact name
Angela T Filimon Goncalves
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
Menstrual fluid (MF) contains millions of live cells that may hold valuable information about women's health. However, it is unknown how many cells originate from the lining of the vagina and how many from the uterus and other areas of the body. This study will determine the relative proportions of different kinds of cells in MF samples obtained from a small cohort of healthy volunteers. Learning about the cellular composition of MF will facilitate future research into its utility in diagnosing diseases of the female reproductive tract. It will also enable biological research on important subsets of cells, such as the cells that regenerate the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) during each menstrual cycle.
This pilot study will also provide a proof of principle for the use of MF in research by performing two sets of additional experiments. Firstly, we will investigate the extent and likely causes of DNA damage in MF from healthy individuals. DNA is the hereditary genetic material and damage to it is linked to cancer. In order to monitor changes in a person's DNA over time, regular access to bodily fluids is required. MF is one of the few fluids that can be accessed non-invasively. Therefore, it may be possible and convenient to check for early signs of cancer or elevated cancer risk by monitoring women’s MF over time. To achieve this, it will be necessary to identify the pattern of DNA changes in healthy women, so that they may be distinguished from the changes in women with a disease of the reproductive tract. Secondly, we will assess whether MF can be used to create laboratory models of the endometrium by attempting to grow three-dimensional cellular structures called organoids. Future experiments on organoids will help improve our understanding of the endometrium in health and disease.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SW/0063
Date of REC Opinion
15 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion