Fujita Health University applies for Japan's first uterus transplant study

Fujita Health University in Aichi Prefecture has submitted a clinical research plan to its internal review committee to conduct Japan’s first uterus transplant study. Led by Professor Iori Kisu, the research aims to enable pregnancy and childbirth for women born without a uterus, specifically targeting patients with Rokitansky syndrome.

The proposed plan involves transplanting uteruses donated by relatives, such as mothers, into approximately three women in their 20s and 30s. The procedure would involve in vitro fertilization using the patients' own eggs and embryos, which would then be placed in the transplanted uterus once rejection is ruled out. Professor Kisu expressed a goal to begin procedures as early as fiscal 2027.

While the research offers potential benefits for women unable to carry pregnancies, it faces ethical scrutiny regarding non-life-saving transplants and the extraction of organs from healthy donors. The university estimated the cost per patient to be between ¥20 million and ¥25 million. The first successful birth via uterus transplant was reported in Sweden in 2014.