A model of the cervix on a small chip, reproducing the microbiological properties of the human environment: this is the latest scientific invention putting cutting-edge technology at the service of women’s health. Designed as a preclinical test bench for the development of therapeutic interventions, this modeling in vitro is a promising tool for studying the physiology of the cervix and its interactions with the microbiome, particularly with a view to treating common bacterial pathologies.
The concept of “ Organs-on-a-Chip “, literally translated as “organs on a chip”, was developed by scientists from Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering from Harvard University and the University of California, Davis. Their last modelizationmodelization is a cervix in vitroin vitro which, designed on a small chip in plasticplastic, reproduces natural biological and physiological conditions. The report of this latest study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
A “cervix on a chip”
The device aims to reproduce not only the structure, but also the function of a human cervix. To do this, the researchers cultivated cells in two channels separated by a porous membrane: on one side cervical epithelial cells, and on the other fibroblasts, all in a device microfluidicsmicrofluidics the size of an SD card. This ” Cervix-on-a-Chip “, which could be translated as “cervix on a chip”, can simulate the complex tissue environment of the cervix: mucus production, hormonal reactivity, immune response, all in healthy conditions but also in response to bacterial infection.
Indeed, the objective of this concept is in particular to study the interactions of the organ in question with its bacterial environment, the microbiome. The research team therefore explored the effects of exposing the “cervical chip” to a healthy microbiome as well as an infectious state. When exposed to bacteriabacteria commensals, like Lactobacillus crispatus, the device has good quality mucus, and an intact epithelial barrier. Conversely, when exposed to bacteria pathogenspathogensas Gardnerella vaginalisresponsible for the bacterial vaginosisbacterial vaginosisthere is an increased expression of proteinsproteins of the’inflammationinflammationand the functions of theepitheliumepithelium are disturbed.
A way to treat bacterial vaginosis?
Bacterial vaginosis is a common condition that occurs when the normal balance of microorganisms in the vagina is disrupted: worldwide, an average of 25% of women of childbearing age suffer from this infection. In addition to the discomfort caused, this increases the risk of contracting and transmitting sexually transmitted infections (STISTI) including HIV, and can cause undesirable effects during pregnancypregnancy if it is not processed upstream. Current treatments are based on antibiotic therapy which often proves ineffective, as it has been observed recurrencesrecurrences in 60% of cases treated. This organ-on-a-chip concept represents a new approach to understanding and treating bacterial vaginosis, by enabling controlled and detailed study of the cervical response to healthy and pathogenic microbial communities.
This “cervical chip” model is inspired by that of a “vaginal chip”, the ultimate objective being to be able to combine these devices in order to develop a model integrating other anatomical dimensions of female health.
