Establishment of a three-dimensional microengineered vascularized endometrium-on-a-chip for the personalized medicine

Despite of extensive advancements made in research of assisted reproductive technology, many patients still suffer from infertility with unfavorable uterine environment for embryo implantation. The main cause of infertility regarding the endometrium is lack of endometrial receptivity. However, current diagnostics provide insufficient evidence to clinical trials due to the lack of understanding of the molecular features of the receptive endometrium. In this study, we successfully established an endometrium-on-a-chip (EoC), which specializes in mimicking the uterine environment of human and mouse. The reconstructed endometrium in EoCs demonstrated similarity to the in vivo endometrial environment by displaying stage- and diseasespecific cellular and molecular patterns that have been previously reported. Moreover, we developed a novel endometrial receptivity scoring system by quantifying the expression pattern of biochemical markers and vascular development. This scoring system implys the possibility of a refined tool to assess endometrial receptivity in personalized EoCs. In addition, this scoring system showed potential in prediction of IVF-ET success and as a new platform for drug screening. This research represents a significant step towards personalized, evidence-based fertility treatments and the development of advanced diagnostic tools.