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Uterus Transplantation to Treat Infertility (OPRTUNTI)

Primary Purpose

Uterine Factor Infertility

Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 2
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Uterine Allotransplantation
Tacrolimus
Imuran
Sponsored by
Johns Hopkins University
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Uterine Factor Infertility focused on measuring Uterus/Transplantation, Uterus/Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA), Immunosuppression, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH), Allotransplantation, Humans, Female, Hysterectomy

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - 38 Years (Adult)FemaleAccepts Healthy Volunteers

INCLUSION CRITERIA - Recipient Inclusion Criteria: Genotypic female of any race, color, or ethnicity. Uterine factor infertility. Aged 18-38 years at time of egg retrieval. Strong desire to undergo uterus transplant in order to become pregnant and give birth to a child. Embryo cryopreservation with embryos located at Johns Hopkins: Has a minimum of 4-8 cryopreserved normal embryos following Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS-screening). OR o Is willing to undergo egg retrieval, in vitro fertilization, and PGS-screening to cryopreserve a minimum of 4-8 normal embryos. Willingness to undergo embryo implantation after uterus transplantation to achieve pregnancy. In the opinion of the study team, makes a reasonable effort to identify and refer her own potential uterus donor to the study team. Completes the protocol informed consent form. Non-smoker, defined by having never smoked or having quit >6 consecutive months prior to screening. No co-existing medical condition which, in the opinion of the study team, could affect the immunosuppression protocol, surgical procedure, or ability to be pregnant or bear a child. (See Donor and Recipient Exclusion Criteria below. If the condition is amenable to treatment, the study team must agree that said condition should not significantly enhance the surgical risks of uterus transplantation.) Negative serum pregnancy test. Blood type compatible with donor. Negative crossmatch with donor. Patient agrees to comply with the protocol and states a dedication to the treatment regime. Agrees to uterus explanation following birth of a child and or 5 years without successful pregnancy. Donor Inclusion Criteria: Genotypic female with an intact uterus. Medical history includes known successful pregnancy (e.g., gravid uterus). Aged 25 - 65 years. Consents to uterus donation and required pre-donation screening. For females of child-bearing potential: Negative serum pregnancy test. Blood type compatible with recipient. Negative crossmatch with recipient. Donor and Recipient Inclusion Criteria: USA citizen or equivalent. No co-existing psycho-social problems (i.e., alcoholism, drug abuse). BMI ≤35 o A higher BMI may be accepted at the discretion of the study team. Negative for HIV at transplant. Negative for malignancy for past 5 years. EXCLUSION CRITERIA- Donor and Recipient Exclusion Criteria: Positive for any of the following conditions: Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Untreated sepsis. HIV (active or seropositive). Active tuberculosis. Active Hepatitis B infection. Active Hepatitis C infection. Viral encephalitis. Toxoplasmosis. Current/recent (within 3 months of donation/screening consent) IV drug abuse. Significant cardiac disease Significant vascular disease o Sensitized recipients with high levels (50%) of panel-reactive Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) antibodies. Conditions that may impact the success of the surgical procedure or increase the risk of postoperative complications including inherited coagulopathies like Hemophilia, Von-Willebrand's disease, Protein C and S deficiency, Thrombocythemias, Thalassemias, Sickle Cell disease, etc. Mixed connective tissue diseases and collagen diseases that can result in poor wound healing after surgery. Severe neurologic deficits. Patients considered unsuitable per the consulted Psychiatric/Psychologic appraisal. A history of medical non-compliance. Donor Only Exclusion Criteria: Previous injury to the uterus including giving birth by Cesarean section. History of radiation therapy to the abdominal area. Other medical conditions, as determined by the study physicians, that would preclude donation. Recipient Only Exclusion Criteria: • Conditions that, in the opinion of the study team, may expose the recipient to unacceptable risks under immunosuppressive treatment.

Sites / Locations

  • Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineRecruiting

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm Type

Experimental

Arm Label

Uterus Transplant Recipient

Arm Description

Uterus recipients, who are otherwise healthy, adult, genotypic females affected by uterine factor infertility, will undergo the surgically innovative uterus transplantation procedure combined with short-term use of conventional calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppression in to support a fetus to a viable delivery via Caesarian section.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Successful delivery of viable baby
Successful implantation of fertilized embryo which is then carried to term with the baby delivered by Cesarean section.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Number of hazardous drinkers as assessed by Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C)
A brief alcohol screen that reliably identifies patients who are hazardous drinkers or have active alcohol use disorders
Stress as assessed by the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE)
A 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event.
Resilience as assessed by the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC)-10
A unidimensional self-reported scale consisting of 10-items measuring resilience.
Relationship quality as assessed by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) [if having child with a partner]
A 32-item measure designed to assess the relationship quality of intact (married or cohabiting) couples.
Drug use as assessed by the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) 10 Drug Use Questionnaire
A 10-item self-report instrument which assesses drug use, not including alcohol or tobacco use, in the past 12 months.
Depression as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
A brief, self-administered questionnaire that assesses depression symptoms.
Overall health status as assessed by the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36)
A 36 item survey used to assess overall health status using 8 scaled scores for Vitality, Physical functioning, Bodily pain, General health perceptions, Physical role functioning, Emotional role functioning, Social role functioning, and Mental health
PTSD as assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5 PTSD Checklist)
A 20-item self-report measure of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD
Anxiety as assessed by the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7
A 7-item self-report used to identify patients with anxiety.
Positive outcomes as assessed by the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI)
A 21-item self-report measure used to assess positive outcomes after extremely stressful and potentially traumatic events.
Life satisfaction as assessed by the Psychological Measures by Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)
SWLS is a measure of life satisfaction. Uses scale to rate from 1-7, Where 1 indicates strongly disagree to 7 indicating strongly agree.

Full Information

First Posted
December 2, 2022
Last Updated
August 17, 2023
Sponsor
Johns Hopkins University
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT05646992
Brief Title
Uterus Transplantation to Treat Infertility
Acronym
OPRTUNTI
Official Title
OPRTUNTI: Offering Potential for Reproduction Through Transplantation of Uterus iN the Treatment of Infertility
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
August 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
March 1, 2023 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
February 28, 2033 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
February 28, 2043 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor
Name of the Sponsor
Johns Hopkins University

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
Yes

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
This research study will use uterus transplantation to treat uterine factor infertility, also known as the inability to bear children due to not having a uterus. The purpose of this study is to enable women seeking genetically-related children and the childbearing experience to experience pregnancy and birth a child. In this study, living donors will undergo surgery to give the donor's uterus to another woman. The woman who receives the transplant will take immunosuppression to keep the uterus and herself healthy. Because taking immunosuppressive medicine has side effects, uterus transplantation is intended to be temporary, lasting about 5 years. The goals of the study are successful pregnancy and the birth of one, and possibly two, healthy babies per transplant patient. The uterus is to be removed and immunosuppression stopped following the birth of a child. Offspring are delivered by Caesarian section, at which time the transplant may also be removed. Transplant candidates must have fertilized, frozen (cryopreserved) embryos at a Johns Hopkins facility before undergoing transplantation. Transplant candidates will be asked to identify candidates' potential uterus donor. Altruistic donors, or women who want to donate without knowing a potential recipient, may also participate. All potential donors will be screened to see if the donors are a good match for a recipient and are healthy enough to have the donation surgery. Study Duration: Uterus Donors: Screening through about 12 months following the transplant operation. Uterus Recipients: Recipients may have the uterus for about 5 years. After the transplant is removed, the study team will ask for yearly follow-ups for another 5 years. Children born from transplanted uteruses: The study team asks to follow offspring yearly through age 21 years.
Detailed Description
This is a prospective clinical cohort study to establish temporary allogenic uterus transplantation as a feasible and effective reconstructive strategy for the treatment of uterine factor infertility. Suitable candidates will proceed through as many as nine study stages: Stage 1: Telephone Screening Interview Stage 2: Blood Work Screening Stage 3: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) & Embryo Cryopreservation Stage 4: Full Screening Stage 5: Transplantation Stage 6: Embryo Transfer Stage 7: Pregnancy to Childbirth Stage 8: Uterus Explantation Stage 9: Longitudinal Follow-Up Potential participants will first be screened by phone for general eligibility, motivations for transplantation, and probable identification of a living donor. Potential donors will be interviewed by an Independent Living Donor Advocate to determine eligibility. Suitable candidates and candidates' potential living donors will then undergo blood work screening to determine if it's an acceptable pairing for donation and transplantation. Next, if the recipient does not already have embryos banked at a Johns Hopkins Hospital facility, she will participate in IVF and embryo cryopreservation per standard of care protocols. After a sufficient number of fertilized embryos have been successfully stored, the participant and her living donor will undergo full study screening. Donor/recipient pairs deemed suitable for transplantation based on screening results will be scheduled for and undergo transplant surgery. Post-uterus donation, the donor will be followed according to post-hysterectomy surgery patient care protocols. Post transplantation, the recipient will continue under the care of the study team as a transplant patient as well as under the care of gynecologists, obstetricians, and maternal fetal medicine experts. Depending on the transplant recipient's post-operative course, embryo transfer may be attempted as early as 2 months post-transplant. Should the patient become pregnant, obstetrics will follow the participant's and her fetus' progress. Whether or not the recipient successfully carries a pregnancy or births a child, uterus explantation is an anticipated endpoint of this protocol. Patients will be counseled that participants may have the transplant to birth up to two offspring or for about five years, whichever comes first, after which removal of the uterus should be considered. Study data on uterus transplant recipients will be collected for 5 years post-transplantation under this protocol, or for the entire time the participant has the graft, plus five years post-explantation. All attempts will be made to collect data on the offspring born as a result of this protocol through the offspring's 21st birthday.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Uterine Factor Infertility
Keywords
Uterus/Transplantation, Uterus/Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA), Immunosuppression, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH), Allotransplantation, Humans, Female, Hysterectomy

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 2, Phase 3
Interventional Study Model
Single Group Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
N/A
Enrollment
40 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Uterus Transplant Recipient
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Uterus recipients, who are otherwise healthy, adult, genotypic females affected by uterine factor infertility, will undergo the surgically innovative uterus transplantation procedure combined with short-term use of conventional calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppression in to support a fetus to a viable delivery via Caesarian section.
Intervention Type
Procedure
Intervention Name(s)
Uterine Allotransplantation
Intervention Description
Temporary allogenic uterus transplantation from a living donor with the goal of achieving pregnancy and delivering viable baby.
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Tacrolimus
Other Intervention Name(s)
FK506
Intervention Description
Used as daily immunosuppression. Started at 3mg twice daily (PO) on post-operative Day 1, adjusted to achieve serum trough concentrations of 8-10ng/ml.
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Imuran
Other Intervention Name(s)
Azathioprine
Intervention Description
Used as daily immunosuppresion. 100 mg for total body weight less than 75 kg and 150 mg for total body weight greater than or equal to 75 mgs
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Successful delivery of viable baby
Description
Successful implantation of fertilized embryo which is then carried to term with the baby delivered by Cesarean section.
Time Frame
Uterus transplantation to 5 years post uterus transplantation
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Number of hazardous drinkers as assessed by Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C)
Description
A brief alcohol screen that reliably identifies patients who are hazardous drinkers or have active alcohol use disorders
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Stress as assessed by the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE)
Description
A 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Resilience as assessed by the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC)-10
Description
A unidimensional self-reported scale consisting of 10-items measuring resilience.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Relationship quality as assessed by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) [if having child with a partner]
Description
A 32-item measure designed to assess the relationship quality of intact (married or cohabiting) couples.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Drug use as assessed by the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) 10 Drug Use Questionnaire
Description
A 10-item self-report instrument which assesses drug use, not including alcohol or tobacco use, in the past 12 months.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Depression as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Description
A brief, self-administered questionnaire that assesses depression symptoms.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Overall health status as assessed by the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36)
Description
A 36 item survey used to assess overall health status using 8 scaled scores for Vitality, Physical functioning, Bodily pain, General health perceptions, Physical role functioning, Emotional role functioning, Social role functioning, and Mental health
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
PTSD as assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5 PTSD Checklist)
Description
A 20-item self-report measure of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Anxiety as assessed by the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7
Description
A 7-item self-report used to identify patients with anxiety.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Positive outcomes as assessed by the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI)
Description
A 21-item self-report measure used to assess positive outcomes after extremely stressful and potentially traumatic events.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation
Title
Life satisfaction as assessed by the Psychological Measures by Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)
Description
SWLS is a measure of life satisfaction. Uses scale to rate from 1-7, Where 1 indicates strongly disagree to 7 indicating strongly agree.
Time Frame
Pre-Transplantation Screening through 5 years post uterus explantation

10. Eligibility

Sex
Female
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
38 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Eligibility Criteria
INCLUSION CRITERIA - Recipient Inclusion Criteria: Genotypic female of any race, color, or ethnicity. Uterine factor infertility. Aged 18-38 years at time of egg retrieval. Strong desire to undergo uterus transplant in order to become pregnant and give birth to a child. Embryo cryopreservation with embryos located at Johns Hopkins: Has a minimum of 4-8 cryopreserved normal embryos following Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS-screening). OR o Is willing to undergo egg retrieval, in vitro fertilization, and PGS-screening to cryopreserve a minimum of 4-8 normal embryos. Willingness to undergo embryo implantation after uterus transplantation to achieve pregnancy. In the opinion of the study team, makes a reasonable effort to identify and refer her own potential uterus donor to the study team. Completes the protocol informed consent form. Non-smoker, defined by having never smoked or having quit >6 consecutive months prior to screening. No co-existing medical condition which, in the opinion of the study team, could affect the immunosuppression protocol, surgical procedure, or ability to be pregnant or bear a child. (See Donor and Recipient Exclusion Criteria below. If the condition is amenable to treatment, the study team must agree that said condition should not significantly enhance the surgical risks of uterus transplantation.) Negative serum pregnancy test. Blood type compatible with donor. Negative crossmatch with donor. Patient agrees to comply with the protocol and states a dedication to the treatment regime. Agrees to uterus explanation following birth of a child and or 5 years without successful pregnancy. Donor Inclusion Criteria: Genotypic female with an intact uterus. Medical history includes known successful pregnancy (e.g., gravid uterus). Aged 25 - 65 years. Consents to uterus donation and required pre-donation screening. For females of child-bearing potential: Negative serum pregnancy test. Blood type compatible with recipient. Negative crossmatch with recipient. Donor and Recipient Inclusion Criteria: USA citizen or equivalent. No co-existing psycho-social problems (i.e., alcoholism, drug abuse). BMI ≤35 o A higher BMI may be accepted at the discretion of the study team. Negative for HIV at transplant. Negative for malignancy for past 5 years. EXCLUSION CRITERIA- Donor and Recipient Exclusion Criteria: Positive for any of the following conditions: Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Untreated sepsis. HIV (active or seropositive). Active tuberculosis. Active Hepatitis B infection. Active Hepatitis C infection. Viral encephalitis. Toxoplasmosis. Current/recent (within 3 months of donation/screening consent) IV drug abuse. Significant cardiac disease Significant vascular disease o Sensitized recipients with high levels (50%) of panel-reactive Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) antibodies. Conditions that may impact the success of the surgical procedure or increase the risk of postoperative complications including inherited coagulopathies like Hemophilia, Von-Willebrand's disease, Protein C and S deficiency, Thrombocythemias, Thalassemias, Sickle Cell disease, etc. Mixed connective tissue diseases and collagen diseases that can result in poor wound healing after surgery. Severe neurologic deficits. Patients considered unsuitable per the consulted Psychiatric/Psychologic appraisal. A history of medical non-compliance. Donor Only Exclusion Criteria: Previous injury to the uterus including giving birth by Cesarean section. History of radiation therapy to the abdominal area. Other medical conditions, as determined by the study physicians, that would preclude donation. Recipient Only Exclusion Criteria: • Conditions that, in the opinion of the study team, may expose the recipient to unacceptable risks under immunosuppressive treatment.
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Jane Littleton, CRNP, MSN
Phone
410-955-6875
Email
jlittl38@jhmi.edu
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Richard J Redett, MD
Organizational Affiliation
Johns Hopkins University
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
City
Baltimore
State/Province
Maryland
ZIP/Postal Code
21287
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jane Littleton, AG-ACNP, FNP
Phone
410-614-5551
Email
jlittl38@jhmi.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Richard J. Redett, MD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Andrew J. Satin, MD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Amanda Nickles Fader, MD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Gerald Brandacher, MD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
James H. Segars, MD

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Learn more about this trial

Uterus Transplantation to Treat Infertility

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