Multi-cellular engineered living systems to assess reproductive toxicology

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Toxicology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Chemicals and drugs pose risks to reproductive health, but limited models hinder comprehensive toxicity testing.
• Current clinical trials often indirectly assess drug safety during pregnancy, overlooking maternal-fetal interface impacts.
• Existing animal models have limitations for accurately reflecting human reproductive system responses to toxicants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of multi-cellular engineered living systems for reproductive toxicology.
• To highlight the application of microphysiological systems (MPS) and organoids in modeling reproductive organ function and pathology.
• To discuss the use of these advanced models in assessing chemical and xenobiotic toxicity in reproductive systems.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on engineered living systems (MPS, organoids) in reproductive toxicology.
• Analysis of studies modeling female and male reproductive systems, placenta formation, and embryo development.
• Examination of specific examples of organoids and organ-on-chip systems used for toxicological assessments.

Main Results:

• Engineered living systems, including MPS and organoids, can model key reproductive organ functions and cellular responses.
• These models have shown varied success in recreating in vivo markers for reproductive toxicology studies.
• Specific examples demonstrate their utility in assessing toxicity related to pregnancy and embryo development.

Conclusions:

• Multi-cellular engineered living systems show significant promise as alternative models for reproductive toxicology research.
• These systems offer a more relevant approach compared to traditional animal studies and 2D cell cultures.
• Further improvements are needed to enhance the capabilities and address current limitations of MPS for comprehensive reproductive safety assessments.