Organ Model: Cervix
Application: Microbiome
Highlights
The authors created a human Endocervix-Chip lined with primary epithelial and stromal cells under pregnancy-like hormonal conditions, which reproduced cervical functions such as mucus plug formation with antimicrobial properties. By introducing dysbiotic microbiota, inflammatory cytokines, and immune cells, they modeled pathological processes linked to preterm labor, including inflammation, extracellular matrix degradation, and cervical ripening. The chip was further used to evaluate therapeutics, confirming the ineffectiveness of a discontinued drug while showing that IL-1 receptor blockade prevented cervical dysfunction.
