Experimental menopause therapy repairs vaginal tissue in animal study
CU Anschutz researchers report a nonhormonal vaginal suppository restored tissue structure and function in a preclinical menopause model.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz say they have developed an experimental nonhormonal treatment aimed at repairing vaginal tissue changes linked to menopause. The work matters because Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, or GSM, can cause persistent vaginal and urinary symptoms, and many patients do not use estrogen-based therapies.
The findings were published in the journal Menopause, according to the university. The study tested the therapy in a preclinical animal model of menopause, where it restored vaginal tissue structure and function that had been lost because of estrogen deficiency, the researchers reported.
GSM is a chronic condition tied to falling estrogen levels during natural or medically induced menopause, according to CU Anschutz. The university said the condition affects the vulva, vagina and urinary tract and can lead to vaginal dryness, pain during sex, and repeated vaginal or urinary tract infections.
CU Anschutz said an estimated 50% to 70% of women who go through natural or medically induced menopause develop at least one GSM symptom. Current options often include over-the-counter products that may ease symptoms for a limited time or hormonal treatments that replace estrogen, according to the university.
A local estrogen signal without steroid hormones
The experimental therapy is designed to activate estrogen signaling in vaginal tissue without exposing the rest of the body to estrogen, CU Anschutz said. Researchers described it as a possible way to treat the tissue changes behind GSM rather than only reducing discomfort.
Steve Nordeen, the study’s senior author and professor emeritus in the Department of Pathology at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, said patients face limited choices. "For too many women, the current options are either products that only provide temporary relief or hormone-based treatments they may not feel comfortable using," Nordeen said, according to CU Anschutz.
The university said some women cannot use hormone therapy or prefer not to because of concerns about possible risks. CU Anschutz specifically pointed to women with a history of breast cancer or a higher risk of hormone-sensitive cancers.
To make the treatment, Nordeen and colleagues synthesized a nonsteroidal estrogen-signaling molecule called 3-fluoro 6,4'-dihydroxyflavone, or 3F, according to CU Anschutz. The compound was delivered as a vaginal suppository in the preclinical study.
In that model, the therapy regenerated the vaginal epithelium, the cellular lining of the vagina, the university said. CU Anschutz also said the researchers found no evidence of systemic estrogenic activity in the study.
Human trials remain the next step
Nordeen said the goal was to treat the biological changes that follow menopause without using steroid hormones. "While more research is needed, these findings suggest we may have a promising new approach," he said, according to CU Anschutz.
The therapy remains experimental. Nordeen said the next step is obtaining support to move the treatment into human clinical trials, where researchers could determine whether it can become a treatment option for women.
The researchers said that if later clinical trials confirm the preclinical findings, the therapy could offer another option for millions of women with GSM. The published paper is titled "Regeneration of the structure and function of estrogen-deficient vaginal epithelium by a novel phytoestrogen-related compound," according to CU Anschutz.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.