Researchers recreate female reproductive tract

Research published in Nature has demonstrated how scientists have made a mini working replica of the female reproductive tract using human and mouse tissue, to further understanding of diseases affecting these tissues.

The 3D model is made up of a series of cubes that each represent the different parts of the female reproductive system, which contains collections of living cells (some mouse, some human) from the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina.

The cubes, or ‘mini organs’, can communicate with each other using hormones, which flow through small connecting tubes, mimicking what happens in a woman's body during a typical 28-day human menstrual cycle.

Tests suggested that the tissues in the artificial system responded to the cyclical ebb and flow of hormones, in a similar way to those of the female body.

Nature Communications has reported that the ultimate goal would be to take cells from any given individual in order to create a personalised model of their body to test drugs and treatments on.

Research Dr Joanna Burdette, from Northwestern University, said: "It's a biological representation of the female reproductive tract, so we call it Evatar."

Prof Jan Brosens from the University of Warwick commented: "This is genuinely a remarkable technical achievement.

"I am entirely confident that this novel technology represents a step-change in our ability to pinpoint defects that cause infertility and early pregnancy loss. However, it is not a system that can recapitulate all the specialised functions of the reproductive tract or replace IVF."