Research Examines Gene Therapy To Treat Uterine Fibroids

Investigators have begun using gene therapy to treat uterine fibroids, a condition that is four times more prevalent in African American women than in women from other ethnic groups in the United States.

In an article published in the January 2009 issue of the Fertility and Sterility, the journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Ayman Al-Hendy, M.D., professor and vice chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Meharry Medical College (Nashville, TN, USA) described his findings. "This condition is a major issue of health disparity because it puts African American women at a huge disadvantage during their most productive years,” said Dr. Al-Hendy.

Uterine fibroids occur in nearly 40% of reproductive age women beginning in their mid-20s and continuing until menopause. The symptoms are often debilitating and include excessive vaginal bleeding, anemia, fatigue, and lack of energy. According to Dr. Al-Hendy, women who suffer from uterine fibroids may lose time from work, have higher medical expenses, and frequently need advanced medical treatment in order to become pregnant, all things that cause both emotional and economic difficulties for families.

Dr. Al-Hendy's research, conducted on experimental animals, revealed that gene therapy treatment could be confined to the benign fibroid tumor without causing damage to the rest of the uterus. Current treatments usually include invasive surgeries that may result in greater scarring and infertility. While further experimentation is needed, Dr. Al-Hendy believes his new approach will offer hope and relief to millions of women.

"If we can achieve our research goal, women will see a greater decrease in their symptoms without the need for surgery and be able to preserve their fertility potential at same time,” Dr. Al-Hendy's noted. His research will continue safety testing in experimental animals; the next step will be to move toward clinical trials.

Meharry Medical College's Center for Women's Health Research is also developing other nonsurgical treatments for uterine fibroids. Clinical trials are currently being conducted using nutritional supplements and other pharmaceuticals for alternative noninvasive treatment for uterine fibroids.

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Meharry Medical College