Hydrogel offers hormone-free relief for menopause symptoms

A hydrogel applied to vaginal tissue could offer hormone-free relief for menopause symptoms, new research suggests.

The treatment may help with vaginal dryness and pain linked to genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).

GSM occurs when the vaginal and urinary tissues become thinner and drier after menopause.

Dr Marianna Alperin, professor and vice chair for translational research in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Reproductive Sciences, said: “An estimated 47 million women in the US become menopausal every year, thus GSM represents a major public health issue that urgently needs investment.”

GSM affects up to 85 per cent of women over 40.

Between 30 and 60 per cent experience vaginal dryness and pain, which can disrupt sleep, sex life and daily activities.

Around 65 per cent of women with GSM report dissatisfaction with current treatments.

During menopause, vaginal tissues thin, blood vessels and connective tissue shrink, and smooth muscle layers weaken.

These changes affect the vagina’s ability to expand during sex and to support organs such as the bladder, uterus and rectum. Immune cells also begin producing inflammatory proteins.

The main treatment now is low-dose vaginal oestrogen, which thickens the vaginal lining but does not restore deeper smooth muscle tissue.

Some patients and doctors avoid this therapy because of concerns about hormone-sensitive cancers, despite research suggesting these fears are not supported.

The therapy is also expensive and not always covered by insurance.

The researchers previously developed hydrogels for cardiac repair that were tested in a Phase 1 FDA-approved clinical trial.

The team then partnered with Alperin’s group to explore hydrogel use in GSM.

The team tested the hydrogel on 24 menopausal rats.

They applied daily doses at two strengths (6 or 8 milligrams per millilitre) alongside collagen or saline controls.

After 14 days, vaginal tissue treated with hydrogel resembled pre-menopausal tissue.

Smooth muscle thickness increased, especially with the higher dose, likely because of the higher concentration of extracellular matrix proteins.

The hydrogel reached both surface and muscle layers of the vaginal wall within three days.

Macrophages – immune cells that aid tissue repair – responded positively.

Images of treated tissue showed hydrogel-treated samples resembled healthy tissue, unlike saline or collagen controls.

 Emma Zelus is first author of the study and preclinical research manager at the Sanford Stem Cell Institute.

She said: “We are not looking to replace oestrogen treatments.

“We want to provide an alternative for patients and physicians who either do not want to use hormone-based therapy or for women for whom vaginal oestrogen alone is insufficient.”

No safety concerns were observed during the study.

Next steps include testing the hydrogel in larger preclinical studies over longer periods.

Researchers also plan to see if less frequent use, such as two or three times a week, could be effective.