Vagina-on-a-chip: scientists simulate organ-on-a-chip to study infections

In a study published in the journal microbiomeResearchers from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University detail the use of the “organs on chips” technique to study the vaginal microbiome.

Vaginal health is essential to maintaining good women’s health, from preventing cervical cancer to preventing miscarriages and infertility. However, there are some difficulties in studying this region.

It is often possible to use animal models to similarly study organs, responses to drugs, or behavior of infectious agents.

However, the human vaginal microbiome is unique and highly variable, making it difficult to develop new treatments as models, whether synthetic or natural, are not available for testing.

But with research from the Wyss Institute and funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that picture may begin to change.

The researchers were able to simulate the human vaginal microbiome on chips.

To understand how bacterial vaginosis starts and can be treated, the researchers grafted epithelial cells and underlying vaginal connective tissue into chips that simulate organs in 3D.

A few days after preparing the plates, the environment showed signs of activity, forming layers of cells very similar to those found in the vagina. The cells also reacted in the presence of the female hormone estradiol.

However, in addition to a healthy environment, the researchers wanted to observe how cells would behave in the face of pathogens that cause vaginosis.

And much like what happens naturally, the cells were damaged and produced more anti-inflammatory agents.

However, there are some limitations to the model. The vaginal environment is highly variable due to hormonal reactions, physical or emotional health, and even sexual intercourse.

These variations cannot, at least not yet, be simulated in the model, causing limitations in the study.

But even in the face of challenges, the positive results also offer hope for the development of new treatments aimed at preventing infections and improving women’s health.