A woman’s uterus has been kept alive outside the body for the first time

Researchers at Spain's Carlos Simon Foundation kept a donated human uterus alive outside the body for 24 hours using a perfusion machine called "Mother," which circulates modified blood through the organ via plastic tubing and mimics functions of the heart, lungs, and kidneys. The team, led by biomedical scientist Javier González, connected the uterus to human blood from a blood bank in May of last year, marking what they say is the first time a human uterus has been sustained ex vivo. The breakthrough could eventually expand options for uterus transplants from deceased donors and enable researchers to study implantation, the moment an embryo attaches to the uterine lining—a process that often fails in IVF cycles. The team aims to keep future uteruses alive for 28 days to observe a full menstrual cycle and test embryo-like structures made from stem cells, though maintaining an organ that long outside the body remains technically unproven. Foundation director Carlos Simon has suggested the technology could one day support full human gestation outside the body, though the work has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.