Can a New "Vagina-on-a-Chip" Breakthrough Help Treat Women Suffering From Bacteria Vaginosis?
By Clarence Walker
When God created females with a vagina the almighty created a world of people. But vaginas carry bacterial that causes serious diseases. But a new invented 'organ chip' that duplicates the biology of a vagina may become a game-changer.https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/a-breakthrough-in-bacterial-vaginosis-treatment-for-womens-health/
A group of Scientists has finally created a major medical breakthrough treatment for women's health by recreating a female vagina onto a microchip which have the potential of saving up to millions of women from infections, according to the scientists who conducted the study. The vagina chip replicates the biology of a human vagina that can be tested with different strains of bacteria, and further allowing scientists to develop new medical treatments for a commonly known condition in the medical field as Bacterial Vaginosis(BV).
BV is triggered by an imbalance of the bacteria inside the vagina that can cause a woman to discharge gray-colored(fishy smell) fluid. Bacterial Vaginosis is mostly an understudied condition and one of the reasons for this is due to lack of preclinial models. There are numerous bacteria within the walls of the vagina, and, not all vagina bacteria is bad for the body. Lactobacillus species is present in the vagina organ, comprising 70 percent of healthy human vaginal microbiomes. If a disruption of the microbiome can possibly cause disease.
Harvard Bioengineer Researcher Don Ingber, said to New York Times and other news media outlets: "The chip is more realistic than other laboratory models of the organ. This walks, talks, quacks like a human vagina." The silicone chip was created with cells donated by two women, which were grown inside of small rubber chips, capable of mimicking the vaginal microbiome. This contractions allow scientists to measure the effect of bacterias on the health of the human vagina without risking a human patient.
Next, Scientists create the Vagina Chips with perfect bacterial circumstances, and, following that, introduce other 'bad' microbes to test what the impact is on reproductive health. A second Harvard Research Scientist at Wyss Institute Abidemi Junaid who contributed to the study, explained in a matter-of-fact tone: "It was very striking that the different microbial species produced such opposite effects on the human vaginal cells, and we were able to observe and measure those effects quite easily using our Vagina Chip." The Vagina Chip is one of many 'organs' on a chip', which allows scientists a better and safer way to test new medicines on organ cells prior to scientists moving forward to conducting human clinical trials.
Bacterial Vaginosis Threatens Pregnancy
Bacterial Vaginosis affects nearly 30 percent of reproductive-aged women worldwide and costs estimated $4.8 billion to treat annually, and it doubles the risk of numerous sexually transmitted infections including HIV, which increases the risk of pre-term birth in pregnant women. When BV affects pregnant women, the infection, if untreated, can be detrimental. BV is also the second leading cause of death in newborns.
"We don't really understand how these processes are triggered by bacteria in the vagina or even which bacteria are responsible", Amanda Lewis, a professor at the University of California in San Diego told the New York Times. Professor Lewis wasn't involved with the Vagina Chip Study.
The Vagina-on-a Chip isn't the first chip created by Scientist Don Ingbar. He contributed to creating chipped organs from lungs and intestines, according to Scientific American.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded the Vagina Chip Technology. Tons of additional testing must be done to validate the study.
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