A Computational Functional Tissue Unit of the Human Myometrium for In Silico Study of Gestational Excitability and Pathophysiology

The human myometrium undergoes a dramatic transformation during pregnancy, shifting from quiescence to highly synchronised contractility. Understanding this transition is crucial for addressing pathologies such as preterm labour and dystocia (ineffective labour). We present a multi-scale Functional Tissue Unit (FTU) model allowing us to investigate how tissue-level excitability emerges from single-cell electrophysiology. We propose a heterogeneity-driven selection mechanism, wherein a sub-population of cells with high intrinsic excitability dynamically emerges as pace-makers. This active process complements passive depolarisation by interstitial cells, allowing spontaneous excitation to aris