Subcutaneous grafts of human uterine fibroids in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice develop an extensive capillary network and display physiological responsiveness to mifepristone

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Uterine fibroids (UF) are benign tumors of the myometrium (Myo) that afflict 25-50% of women, but there are few animal models for the disease. UF can be grafted into SCID mice, but to be useful as an animal model the grafts must exhibit pharmacological responsiveness to therapeutic drugs. Mifepristone (MP) shrinks UF in women. Therefore, our goal was to assess the effects of MP on UF grafts in SCID mice.