• Bacterial vaginosis is caused by the vaginal microbiome in women and affects over 30% of women of reproductive age worldwide. It is the second leading cause of newborn death and causes preterm birth and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV.
  • A disruption of the vaginal microbiome was frequently treated with antibiotics, but it was not completely treated and allowed to worsen, causing pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and other complications. Currently, investigations are underway for the effect of living biotherapeutics in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.
  • The Wyss Institute at Harvard University has developed a treatment for BV in the form of an organ chip. The newly formed organ chip clones the human vaginal microenvironment along with the physiological features of the vagina. 
  • This organ chip was used to study the effects of different strains of bacteria on the organ’s health.
  • This advancement in biotherapeutic therapy for the treatment of BV is aimed at reducing infant mortality, pregnancy problems, and genital infections in women.
  • Don Ingber, M.D., PhD, the founding director of the Wyss Institute, said, "There is growing recognition that taking care of women’s health is critical for the health of all humans, but the creation of tools to study human physiology is lagging."
  • The researchers are hopeful for preclinical models that will drive the development of new treatments for BV and give insight into female reproductive health.

Source- ET Health