Microengineered patient-derived endometrium-on-a-chip for the evaluation of endometrial receptivity and personalised translational medicine
Endometrial receptivity is a critical determinant of embryo implantation and early pregnancy success; however, current methods for assessing endometrial receptivity remain poorly validated and insufficiently reliable for clinical application. Here, we establish a patient-derived vascularised endometrium-on-a-chip (EoC), successfully replicating the dynamic microenvironment and both temporal and spatial architecture of native endometrial tissue. Using our EoC, we develop a clinically relevant endometrial receptivity scoring system, ERS<sup>2</sup>, which integrates molecular profiling of established receptivity markers with quantitative analyses of angiogenesis. The ERS<sup>2</sup> enables personalised assessment of endometrial health and implantation potential, addressing inter-patient variability often overlooked by conventional techniques. By leveraging our EoC to therapeutic monitoring, we observe progressive restoration of the endometrial microenvironment following platelet-rich-plasma treatments, highlighting the translational utility of our model. This study represents the innovative application of a patient-derived EoC and scoring system to assess receptivity, offering personalised infertility management and advancing targeted therapies in reproductive medicine.
Authors
- Jungho Ahn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9745-5524)
- Sun‐Young Hwang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0603-5381)
- Hwa Seon Koo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2783-5668)
- Yu-Gyeong Lee
- Ga Eun Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7684-9014)
- Jungseub Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7441-6282)
- Youn‐Jung Kang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0771-9515)
- Seung‐Yup Ku (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6423-854X)
- Won Jong Yu
- Jong‐Chan Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7516-7292)
- Danbi Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1975-1176)
- Yoon Young Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0671-519X)
Institutions
- Seoul National University (KR)
- Seoul National University Hospital (KR)
- Maria Fertility Hospital (KR)
- CHA University (KR)
- Sungkyunkwan University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-11-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65406-7
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Reproductive System and Pregnancy
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.39