Canine endometrial organoids respond to exogenous steroid hormones and are an in vitro model for cystic endometrial hyperplasia

Organoids are cells that are grown three-dimensionally in the laboratory and retain similar functions to the organ from which the cells were collected. Organoids were used here to study female dog reproductive tissue without the need for live animals, which saves time and money and improves animal welfare. We developed a three-dimensional model of the dog uterus that responds to reproductive hormones and maintains its normal structure. In addition, we used diseased canine tissue to replicate CEH, a condition that affects pregnancy and can lead to the serious disease of pyometra, in which the uterus is infected and filled with pus. In future studies, this validated model can be used to study how CEH develops and to test new treatments for the disease.