ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT03277430UTxLD/DBDUpdated Feb 27, 2019

Uterus Transplantation From Live Donors and From Deceased Donors - Clinical Study

A Phase 3 interventional study of Live donor uterus transplantation and Deceased donor uterus transplantation in Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser Syndrome, Mullerian Aplasia and Uterus; Absence, Congenital, sponsored by Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Recruiting at 1 site in Czechia. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-02-27.

Sponsored by Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Dec 2020, 5 years 10 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Registered 1 year 10 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Oct 2015, registered Sep 2017).
  • Started Oct 2015; still recruiting 11 years 1 month later.

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Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years to 60 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Uterus transplantation (UTx) is the only causative treatment for congenital or acquired uterus absence. Individual cases of UTx from a live donor (LD UTx) with healthy child birth performed so far showed favourable outcomes. The present study will include both LD UTx and UTx from deceased donors after brain death (DBD UTx). The aim is treatment of uterine infertility by UTx. It is is an ethically justifiable life-promoting transplantation. Twenty UTx will be performed in 2 parallel arms: 10 LD UTx and 10 DBD UTx. Immunosuppression will be administered. Phases of the UTx procedure are: in vitro fertilization - cryopreservation of embryos - uterus retrieval - UTx - follow up - embryo transfer - pregnancy - child birth - later graft hysterectomy - life long follow up. Introduction of UTx into clinical practice may enable women with uterine infertility to have their own children.

Read the detailed description

Introduction: Uterus transplantation (UTx) is the only causative treatment for congenital or acquired uterus absence, i.e. absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI). Feasibility of uterus transplantation from o live donor and possibility of healthy child birth have been proven in previous clinical study in Sweden. The present study is supposed to extend the swedish experience by including UTx from both live donors and from deceased donors after brain death.

Aim: Treatment of absolute uterine factor infertility that has no other therapy option by uterus transplantation. Extending basic knowledge on UTx. Possible introduction of UTx into clinical practice.

Indications: UTx can be offered to patients with congenital uterus absence - aplasia uteri et vaginae, also called Mullerian aplasia or Rokitansky-Mayer-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (RMKH), in whom previous neo-vagina was created. UTx can be performed also in women with acquired uterus absence on the basis of previous hysterectomy e.g. for myomas, endometriosis, post-partum bleeding, cervical cancer, uterus malformations or intrauterine adhesions. Ovarian function must be preserved and stable male partner is required for in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Ethics: Uterus retrieval from a deceased brain-dead donor does not endanger retrieval of other life-saving organs. Live donor does not loose a vitally important organ. The only alternative is adoption of a child. Surrogacy is illegal in many european countries. UTx is the only causative treatment of AUFI. It is is an ethically justifiable life-promoting transplantation. UTx improves quality of live of both the recipient and the live donor by giving an opportunity to have an own child. Board certification for this study was obtained from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and from the local Ethics Committee.

Methods: Twenty UTx will be performed in total in 2 parallel arms: 10 UTx from a live donor (LD UTx) and 10 UTx from a deceased brain-dead donor (DBD UTx). Patients who have no suitable live donor will be wait-listed for a deceased donor. Compatible blood group and negative cross-match test is required. AB0 incompatible or pair exchange transplantations are also possible. Donors and recipients will be examined by clinical, laboratory and imaging methods. All diagnostic and therapeutic procedures will be performed according to a protocol. Risk and benefit will be assessed by a multi-disciplinary team. Informed consent will be signed. Time period between UTx and embryo transfer is supposed to be about 1 year depending on condition of the recipient and the graft, e.g. level of immunosuppression, rejection or infection episodes. Adverse events will be monitored and addressed. Number of possible pregnancies and child births is estimated to be up to 2. The uterus graft will be removed in the end. Overall time interval of keeping the uterus graft in situ and exposure to immunosuppressive therapy is estimated to be up to 5 years.

Immunosuppression: Induction immunosuppression is based on thymoglobuline and corticosteroids. Maintenance immunosuppression is based on tacrolimus, mycophenolate and corticosteroids. Temporary anti-infective prophylaxis will be administered. Minimalization of immunosuppression is needed before pregnancy (monotherapy with tacrolimus). Protocol cervix biopsies to look for possible rejection will be performed. Immunosuppression will be discontinued after graft hysterectomy.

Phases of the UTx procedure: in vitro fertilization (IVF phase I) - cryopreservation of embryos - uterus retrieval from a live donor or from a deceased donor - orthotopic uterus transplantation with open technique - follow up period - embryo transfer (IVF phase II) - pregnancy - child birth via Cesarian section - later graft hysterectomy - life long follow up.

Merit: Individual cases of uterus transplantation performed so far showed favourable outcomes. Introduction of UTx into clinical practice may enable women with uterine infertility to have their own children.

02

Conditions studied

  • Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser Syndrome
  • Mullerian Aplasia
  • Uterus; Absence, Congenital
  • Infertility, Female
  • Uterus Absence, Acquired
  • Absolute Uterine Factor Infertility

Keywords

  • uterus transplantation, absolute uterine factor infertility
03

In context

Mullerian aplasia

20 studies on the registry are indexed under Mullerian aplasia; 11 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 20 is close to the median of 20 across 13 interventional studies indexed under Mullerian aplasia.

Browse Mullerian aplasia studies →

Lead sponsor

Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine is the lead sponsor of 60 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria for UTx recipient:

  • 18 - 40 years of age
  • good general health
  • congenital or acquired uterus absence
  • desire for a child

Exclusion Criteria for UTx recipient:

  • age over 40
  • serious comorbidity

Inclusion Criteria for a live uterus donor:

  • female
  • 18 - 60 years of age
  • maximum 4 child births
  • maximum 1 Cesarian section
  • good general health

Exclusion Criteria for a live uterus donor:

  • age over 60
  • hypertension with organ damage
  • diabetes mellitus
  • other serious comorbidity

Inclusion Criteria for a deceased brain-dead uterus donor:

  • female
  • age under 60
  • no previous hysterectomy
  • no previous uterus
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
20 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Live donor uterus transplantation

    Transplantation of uterus from a living donor. Immunosuppression with tacrolimus.

    Procedure: Live donor uterus transplantation · Drug: Tacrolimus

  • Experimental
    Deceased donor uterus transplantation

    Transplantation of uterus from a deceased brain-dead donor. Immunosuppression with tacrolimus.

    Procedure: Deceased donor uterus transplantation · Drug: Tacrolimus

Interventions

  • ProcedureLive donor uterus transplantation

    Transplantation of uterus from a living donor.

  • ProcedureDeceased donor uterus transplantation

    Transplantation of uterus from a deceased brain-dead donor.

  • Maintenance immunosuppression in UTx recipient will be reduced to tacrolimus monotherapy to minimalize fetal compromise.

    Also known as: FK506

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Efficacy of uterus transplantation.

    Number of successful uterus transplantations and healthy child births. Treatment of absolute uterine factor infertility that has no other therapy option by uterus transplantation that includes in vitro fertilization and cryopreservation, uterus transplantation from a live donor or from a deceased donor, graft survival on immunosuppression, embryo transfer, pregnancy and child birth, final graft hysterectomy.

    Time frame: Until 10 live donor and 10 deceased donor uterus transplants have been performed plus approximately 5 years.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Comparison of efficacy of uterus transplantation from live donors versus deceased donors.

    Number of successful uterus transplantations and healthy child births from live donors versus deceased donors.

    Time frame: Until 10 live donor and 10 deceased donor uterus transplants have been performed plus approximately 5 years.

  2. Rate of adverse events after uterus transplantation

    Number of recipients of uterus transplantation with adverse events.

    Time frame: Until 10 live donor and 10 deceased donor uterus transplants have been performed plus approximately 5 years.

  3. Rate of adverse events after live uterus donation

    Number of live donor participants after uterus retrieval with adverse events.

    Time frame: Until 10 live donor transplants have been performed plus approximately 5 years.

  4. Rate of adverse events during pregnancy and child birth after uterus transplantation

    Number of children conceived and born from transplanted uterus with adverse events.

    Time frame: Until 10 live donor and 10 deceased donor uterus transplants have been performed plus approximately 5 years.

  5. Verification of technique of uterus retrieval

    Verification of surgical technique of uterus retrieval from a live donor and from a deceased donor.

    Time frame: Until 10 live donor and 10 deceased donor uterus transplants have been performed plus approximately 5 years.

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine
    Prague, 14021, Czechia
    Recruiting
    • Jiri Fronek, Assoc Prof · Contactjifr@ikem.cz · +420 26 136 4105
    • Renata Zamecnikova, Bc · Contactzamr@ikem.cz · +420 26 136 4105
    • Jiri Fronek, Assoc Prof · Principal investigator
    • Roman Chmel, MD PhD · Sub investigator
    • Michael Olausson, Prof · Sub investigator
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Erman Akar M, Ozekinci M, Alper O, Demir D, Cevikol C, Meric Bilekdemir A, Daloglu A, Ongut G, Senol Y, Ozdem S, Uzun G, Luleci G, Suleymanlar G. Assessment of women who applied for the uterine transplant project as potential candidates for uterus transplantation. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2015 Jan;41(1):12-6. doi: 10.1111/jog.12486. Epub 2014 Sep 17. PubMed 25226847 ↗
  • Olausson M, Johannesson L, Brattgard D, Diaz-Garcia C, Lundmark C, Groth K, Marcickiewizc J, Enskog A, Akouri R, Tzakis A, Rogiers X, Janson PO, Brannstrom M. Ethics of uterus transplantation with live donors. Fertil Steril. 2014 Jul;102(1):40-3. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.03.048. Epub 2014 Apr 28. No abstract available. PubMed 24784936 ↗
  • Johannesson L, Dahm-Kahler P, Eklind S, Brannstrom M. The future of human uterus transplantation. Womens Health (Lond). 2014 Jul;10(4):455-67. doi: 10.2217/whe.14.22. PubMed 25259905 ↗
  • Farrell RM, Falcone T. Uterine transplantation. Fertil Steril. 2014 May;101(5):1244-5. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.03.022. Epub 2014 Apr 13. No abstract available. PubMed 24726215 ↗
  • Brannstrom M, Johannesson L, Dahm-Kahler P, Enskog A, Molne J, Kvarnstrom N, Diaz-Garcia C, Hanafy A, Lundmark C, Marcickiewicz J, Gabel M, Groth K, Akouri R, Eklind S, Holgersson J, Tzakis A, Olausson M. First clinical uterus transplantation trial: a six-month report. Fertil Steril. 2014 May;101(5):1228-36. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.02.024. Epub 2014 Feb 27. PubMed 24582522 ↗
  • Ozturk H. How real is the uterine transplantation? Ann Transplant. 2014 Feb 14;19:82-3. doi: 10.12659/AOT.889973. No abstract available. PubMed 24535028 ↗
  • Akar ME, Ozkan O, Ozekinci M, Sindel M, Yildirim F, Oguz N. Uterus retrieval in cadaver: technical aspects. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2014;41(3):293-5. PubMed 24992779 ↗
  • Fronek J, Janousek L, Kristek J, Chlupac J, Pluta M, Novotny R, Maluskova J, Olausson M. Live Birth Following Uterine Transplantation From a Nulliparous Deceased Donor. Transplantation. 2021 May 1;105(5):1077-1081. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000003346. PubMed 32541565 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Started Oct 2015 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2020, 62 months after the start.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Sep 4, 2017
First posted
Sep 11, 2017
StartActual
Oct 9, 2015
Primary completionEst.
Dec 31, 2020
CompletionEst.
Dec 31, 2025
Last update
Feb 27, 2019
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 27, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03277430
Lead sponsor
Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine
Collaborators
University Hospital, Motol, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Responsible party
Jiri Fronek (MD PhD Assoc Prof, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 11, 2017
Start date
Oct 9, 2015
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2020 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 27, 2019

Study contacts

Jiri Fronek, Assoc Prof
Contact
jifr@ikem.cz
+420 26 136 4105
Renata Zamecnikova, Bc
Contact
zamr@ikem.cz
+420 26 136 4105, 5300
Jiri Fronek, Assoc Prof
principal investigator · Transplant Surgery Department, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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