# Regenerative biomaterial for combating genitourinary syndrome of menopause

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2024 · $532,719

## Abstract

Project Summary
Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is an extremely prevalent condition consequent to the
hypoestrogenic changes in the genitourinary tract that affects up to 85% of perimenopausal and menopausal
women. Major symptoms of GSM include vaginal dryness, itching, discomfort, burning, and pain; thus, GSM
significantly impacts quality of life during everyday activities and severely impairs sexual function. Despite its
high prevalence and interference with healthy aging, current treatments for GSM are suboptimal, with many
issues related to accessibility or long-term efficacy. Despite an astoundingly low satisfaction of only 35% with
treatments for GSM, whether prescribed or over-the-counter, women continue to suffer from lack of better
options. Thus, there remains a need for a safe and accessible therapy for this morbid condition that can both
alleviate symptoms and restore a healthy vaginal phenotype. The proposed study will determine if a low-cost,
acellular, tissue-specific, and minimally invasive regenerative therapy can repair the atrophic vaginal tissue,
resulting in an accessible, high-impact intervention for GSM. Given our previous successes with tissue-specific
pro-regenerative biomaterials, we opine that a novel vaginal tissue-derived ECM hydrogel (vECM) will reverse
vaginal atrophy by inducing epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation as well as neovascularization when
delivered as a topical treatment, and by improving tissue elasticity and smooth muscle phenotype when delivered
via injection. Using a validated preclinical model of GSM and an array of diverse multi-scale tools, we will
comprehensively characterize alterations in vaginal structural and functional properties due to menopause. We
will then create a novel biomaterial designed specifically to women’s health and assess its efficacy in treating
GSM – a chronic and understudied condition that negatively impact lives of millions of women world-wide.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10872889
- **Project number:** 1R01AG086776-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Marianna Alperin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $532,719
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-15 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10872889

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10872889, Regenerative biomaterial for combating genitourinary syndrome of menopause (1R01AG086776-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10872889. Licensed CC0.

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