Development of Microfluidic Platforms: Human Uterine Cervix-on-a-Chip

Infections, endometriosis, and carcinomas are just a few of the conditions that can affect the uterine cervix in humans. Since the architecture and physiology of the human uterine cervix in humans and other primates differ greatly from that of the majority of frequently used animal models, in vitro models of the human uterine cervix play an increasingly essential role in both fundamental and translational research. The function of existing in vitro models of the human uterine cervix commonly relies on the use of established cervical epithelial cell lines, such as columnar and squamosal epithelial cells, which line the endocervical canal and ectocervical zone of the cervix, respectively. Consequently, there is a great need for a better model to study human uterine and its related diseases. Recently, microfluidics systems called "Organs-on-Chip" provided an opportunity to fulfill that requirement. These platforms incorporate artificial or real tiny tissues grown inside microfluidic chips. The chips are made to regulate cell microenvironments and preserve tissue-specific functionalities in order to resemble human physiology more closely. Organs-on-Chip platforms have attracted interest as a next-generation experimental platform to study human uterine cervix physiology and diseases. Moreover, the impact of medicines in finding a solution for cervical cancer by combining advancements in tissue engineering and microfabrication. In this study, we reviewed the latest studies in designing the human uterine cervix-on-a-chip.

Keywords:

Drug delivery , Human papillomavirus , Microfluidics , Organ-on-chip