Human Uterine Fibroblasts

During pregnancy, in order to accommodate the growing embryo the uterus undergoes widespread remodeling and dramatic extracellular matrix changes. Studies suggest that activated human uterine fibroblasts (HUF) organize and direct the extracellular matrix remodeling in the uterus throughout pregnancy. Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells which come from the embryonic mesoderm. They are useful for a wide range of cellular and molecular studies as they are one of easiest types of cells to grow in culture. Uterine fibroblasts secrete a non-rigid extracellular matrix which is rich in type I and also type III collagen. Cultured Human Uterine Fibroblasts (HUF) are a useful in vitro model to study pregnancy and female reproductive disorders. Human Uterine Fibroblasts are also useful tools to develop disease models for High Throughput and High Content Screening.