Harvard University’s Wyss Institute created a vaginal chip with the goal of finding cure options for vaginosis, an infection that affects 30 percent of women of reproductive age.
The model developed uses donated cultured cells and places them inside the silicone rubber chip to mimic the characteristics of the vaginal microbiome, which will allow a better understanding of the effects of the bacterial communities that lodge in the female sex organ.
This information is intende to provide scientists with. New better tools to find therapeutic solutions for bacterial vaginosis. Which affects women between the ages of 15 and 44.
Chip that simulates vagina create to learn more about infections
“One of the main obstacles was that there were no good. Preclinical models that could be use to study what therapies can actually treat bacterial vaginosis in human tissues. Our team’s project was to create a human vagina chip to contribute to the development. Testing of new therapies for bacterial vaginosis,” said study co-author Aakanksha Gulati.
How the vaginal chip works
This model is designed to simulate as closely as possible the female sexual organ. So it mimics the vaginal tissue environment, including microbial communities. The interaction between hormone changes and bacteria.
Chip that simulates vagina create to learn more about infections
In addition, the chip is made up of the vaginal epithelium. Which is the group of cells that make up the outer surface of the body.
With all this configuration, they constructe the three-dimensional layout of the female organ wall. Plus the positive response to the introduction of the sex hormone oestrogen. Which indicated that it was sensitive to this type of component.
Another effect they achieved was by introducing beneficial bacteria, which caused the epithelial cells to remain healthy. Whereas putting in harmful bacteria caused the epithelial cells to become damaged, increasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and pH.
“It was very surprising that different microbial species produced such opposite effects on human vaginal cells, and we were able to observe and measure those effects quite easily using our Vagina Chip,” said Abidemi Junaid, co-author of the research.
Wifi for health monitoring
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a way to monitor and identify respiratory problems in humans through wifi signals.
Taking advantage of the signals emitted by this technology to secure an internet connection, the researchers analysed changes in the waves a person generates when coughing, for example.