Vaginal Stem Cells: the missing link to vaginal reconstruction

The vagina is central to a woman’s sexuality, her sexual health, body image and sense of wellbeing. Vaginal epithelial stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells are likely responsible for maintaining vaginal tissue and could be harnessed for use as cell therapies for women who have lost a significant proportion of their vagina due to cancer, radiation treatment or chemotherapy. This project will identify these stem cell populations in human vagina using in vitro stem cell assays: clonogenicity, self renewal and differentiation into 3D organoids. Techniques include primary tissue culture, FACS, immunofluorescence.