REVIEW ARTICLE
Pathology
doi: 10.25005/2074-0581-2026-28-3-803-814
EXPERIMENTAL MODELS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS: FROM CLASSICAL APPROACHES TO MODERN DEVELOPMENTS

G.A. YAMANOVA1, R.A. KUDRIN2, A.A. ANTONOVA3

1Department of Normal Physiology, Astrakhan State Medical University, Astrakhan, Russian Federation
2Department of Pathophysiology and Clinical Pathophysiology, Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd, Russian Federation
3Department of Hospital Pediatrics and Neonatology, Astrakhan State Medical University, Astrakhan, Russian Federation

Endometriosis remains one of the most significant disorders of the reproductive system, adversely affecting female fertility and quality of life. Despite its

high prevalence, affecting more than 10% of women of reproductive age, the etiopathogenesis of the disease has not yet been fully elucidated. At the

same time, existing treatments often focus primarily on alleviating symptoms. Therefore, developing appropriate experimental models of endometriosis

plays a key role in investigating the mechanisms underlying its development and identifying novel therapeutic strategies.

For this review, a literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, eLibrary, MEDLINE, and CyberLeninka. Russian and foreign-language publications available as of May 2025 and meeting the predefined search criteria were considered. Search terms included combinations of terms related to “endometriosis” and “experimental models”. The review included publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals that analyzed existing experimental models of endometriosis or described novel approaches to modeling the disease. Case reports and case series, editorials, expert opinions, and conference abstracts were excluded. Publications describing in vitro models were also excluded because their analysis was beyond the scope of this review.

The article provides an overview of the evolution of experimental models of endometriosis, from the pioneering work of Jacobson VA (1922), based

on autotransplantation of endometrial tissue in rabbits, to modern approaches involving transgenic animals and bioluminescence imaging. This review

discusses classical models using rodents (rats and mice) and non-human primates (macaques and baboons), as well as modifications such as subcutaneous implantation and endoscopic monitoring. This review highlights the advantages and limitations of each approach. Despite considerable progress, many therapeutic approaches that have shown efficacy in experimental settings have failed to demonstrate comparable effectiveness in clinical practice.

Therefore, further refinement of experimental models, based on analysis of the limitations and potential of existing approaches, remains an important

area of research to improve their predictive value in preclinical studies.

Keywords: Endometriosis, experimental models, autotransplantation, xenotransplantation.

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Authors' information:

Yamanova Galina Aleksandrovna,
Assistant Professor at the Department of Normal Physiology, Astrakhan State Medical University
Researcher ID: JPK-9760-2023
Scopus ID: 57224560241
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2362-8979
SPIN: 8719-9094
Author ID: 892863
E-mail: galina_262@mail.ru

Kudrin Rodion Aleksandrovich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Pathophysiology, Clinical Pathophysiology, Volgograd State Medical University
Researcher ID: F-7239-2018
Scopus ID: 56815845300
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0022-6742
SPIN: 5485-9609
Author ID: 166013
E-mail: rodion.kudrin76@yandex.ru

Antonova Alyona Anatolyevna,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Hospital Pediatrics and Neonatology, Astrakhan State Medical University
Researcher ID: NTQ-6756-2025
Scopus ID: 57578388400
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2581-0408
SPIN: 8105-1039
Author ID: 839538
E-mail: fduecn-2010@mail.ru

Information about support in the form of grants, equipment, medications

The authors did not receive financial support from manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment

Conflicts of interest: No conflict

Address for correspondence:

Yamanova Galina Alexandrovna
Assistant Professor at the Department of Normal Physiology, Astrakhan State Medical University

414000, Russian Federation, Astrakhan, Bakinskaya str., 121

Tel.: +7 (8512) 525313

E-mail: galina_262@mail.ru


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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