Uterine Transplants: A New Frontier in Science

In the early days of infertility research, scientists -- flush with the promise of transplant medicine -- wondered whether replacing the uterus would help women who were unable to conceive. But less invasive treatments proved feasible, and such research fell by the wayside.

Now, a handful of researchers, including some at the Indiana University School of Medicine, are exploring whether uterine transplants might be able to help women who lack a womb to bear children.

Thousands of women could benefit, but practical and ethical questions remain. When should elective transplants be used? Is a mother's desire to carry her own child reason enough? How might transplant rejection drugs affect a fetus?

The hunger for answers is strong enough that an Indiana University gynecologist convened a conference Dec. 5 at which two dozen people, including international experts in uterine and facial transplants, pondered the next steps.

"This is the first time that I think IU has looked at this seriously," said Dr. Giuseppe Del Priore, Mary Fendrich Hulman Professor of Gynecologic Surgery. "It's encouraging that so many people think it's a...