Establishment of a xenograft model of endometriosis-associated fibrosis using human immortalized endometrial stromal cells overexpressing HOXC8

Endometriosis is a disease characterized by fibrosis and adhesions. There are still no treatment methods targeting these conditions. One reason for this is the lack of useful animal models to investigate the mechanisms of fibrosis and adhesion in endometriosis. We previously proposed that Homeobox C8 (HOXC8) acts as an upstream regulator involved in endometriosis development, promoting fibrosis by activating transforming growth factor β (TGFB) signaling in vitro. This study was undertaken to establish a xenograft mouse model for endometriosis-associated fibrosis using HOXC8-overexpressing cells. Stable lines of immortalized human endometrial stromal cells overexpressing HOXC8 (HOXC8-imESCs) and mock control lines (Control-imESCs) were established and evaluated for cellular functions in vitro. These cell lines were then transplanted under the renal capsule of severely immunodeficient mice, and the xenografts were harvested five weeks after transplantation. In vitro, cell migration, invasion, and fibrotic capacity were enhanced in HOXC8-imESCs compared to Control-imESCs. In the xenografts, HOXC8-imESCs exhibited significant collagen fiber production compared to Control-imESCs. Additionally, immunohistochemistry of the xenografts detected phosphorylated SMAD2/3 exclusively in HOXC8-imESCs, indicating that HOXC8 overexpression activates the TGFB/SMAD pathway aberrantly in vivo. In this study, a new animal model for endometriosis-associated fibrosis was established using the HOXC8-imESC xenograft model system.