In a recent study published in Nature Communications , a group of researchers developed human Cervical Organ Chips to model the cervical interface. These chips enable the investigation of mucus production, hormone responsiveness, and host-microbiome interactions to advance women's health therapies. Study: Mucus production, host-microbiome interactions, hormone sensitivity, and innate immune responses modeled in human cervix chips .
Image Credit: luchschenF/Shutterstock.com In most women, the optimal health of the lower reproductive tract is maintained by a stable cervico-vaginal microbiome dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus (L. crispatus) .
Dysbiosis, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), disrupts this balance, increasing pathogenic bacteria like Gardnerella vaginalis and decreasing L. crispatus. BV affects over 25% of reproductive-age women globally and leads to significant health issues.
Existing therapeutic options have high failure rates and recurrent dysbiosis. Further research is needed to develop more effective treatments and prevention strategies for BV and other reproductive health issues by better understanding the complex interactions between cervical mucus, microbiome, and hormonal influences. In the present study, all methods were approved by the Institutional Review Board of Wyss Institute at Harvard University (Protocol IRB22632) and Mass General Brigham (Protocol 2015P001859).
Informed consent was not obtained as samples were deidentified, and no compensation wa.
