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Objective

Background: The cervicovaginal mucus that coats the upper surface of the vaginal epithelium is thought to serve as a selective barrier that helps to clear pathogens, however, its role in modulating the physiology and pathophysiology of the human vagina is poorly understood. Bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common disease of the female reproductive tract that increases susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, preterm birth, and both maternal and neonatal infections is characterized by the presence of a wide array of strict and facultative anaerobes, often including Gardnerella vaginalis.

Objective

To assess the role of cervical mucus in preventing dysbiosis-associated complications and preserving vaginal health.

Study Design

To better understand the role of cervicovaginal mucus in vaginal health, we used human organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) microfluidic culture …