Methodological Issues in Preclinical Mouse Efficacy Studies of Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is a benign, non-neoplastic gyne-cologic disorder with a poorly understood pathogenesis. Its treatment has been a challenge, with hysterectomy being considered the definitive therapy for severe adenomyosis. More efficacious drugs with better side-effect and cost profiles are sorely needed. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of registered clinical trials on adenomyosis, and the registered trials are not testing new compounds. This appears to suggest a loss in translating discoveries made in preclinical studies to clinical practice. This article presents a systematic review of all published mouse efficacy studies of adenomyosis aimed at the evaluation of potential therapeutic compounds, focusing on methodological quality and describing the limitations of the published studies. The complex issues involved in translating preclinical studies to clinical practice will be summarized. Lastly, some methodological issues in mouse efficacy studies of adenomyosis will be highlighted, with the aim to improve such studies in the future.