Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026
05:40
Continuous Telemetric In Utero Tracheal Pressure Measurements in Fetal Lambs
Published on: December 22, 2023
619
Instrumenting a Fetal Membrane on a Chip as Emerging Technology for Preterm Birth Research
Juan S Gnecco1,2, Anjali P Anders3, David Cliffel4
1Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
|August 30, 2017
Summary
Organ-on-chip models offer a new way to study preterm birth (PTB) and chorioamnionitis (CAM). These advanced models help researchers understand pregnancy complications and develop new treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Reproductive Biology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of neonatal mortality, with subclinical infections like chorioamnionitis (CAM) implicated in up to 70% of cases.
- Understanding the pathophysiology of PTB and the mechanisms behind CAM and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is limited by a lack of human-derived models.
- The fetal membrane's role in maintaining pregnancy and its breakdown in conditions like PPROM are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review emerging organ-on-chip (OoC) technologies for recapitulating the human fetal membrane microenvironment in vitro.
- To conceptualize an "Instrumented Fetal Membrane on a Chip" (IFMOC) as a research prototype for studying PPROM and CAM.
- To discuss the potential of OoC models for advancing PTB research, including toxicological and pharmacological screening.
Main Methods:
- Histological characterization of the fetal membrane microenvironment to inform OoC design.
- Review of existing OoC models relevant to the gravid uterus.
- Conceptualization and design proposal for an IFMOC model.
Main Results:
- OoC models can mimic the cellular and molecular context of the gestational membranes, facilitating the study of disease mechanisms.
- The proposed IFMOC design offers a platform for investigating PPROM and CAM.
- OoC platforms enable high-throughput screening and exploration of complex interactions involving drugs, toxins, and microbes.
Conclusions:
- Fetal membrane OoCs represent an innovative platform for studying PTB pathophysiology.
- These models can elucidate the impact of various agents on pregnancy outcomes.
- Further integration of technological and analytical capabilities is needed to fully characterize the fetal membrane microenvironment for PTB research.
