State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, The State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China.
Department of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2022 Oct;9(28):e2202282. doi: 10.1002/advs.202202282. Epub 2022 Jul 17.
The fundamental physical features such as the mechanical properties and microstructures of the uterus need to be considered when building in vitro culture platforms to mimic the uterus for embryo implantation and further development but have long been neglected. Here, a uterus-inspired niche (UN) constructed by grafting collagen gels onto polydimethylsiloxane based on a systematic investigation of a series of parameters (varying concentrations and thicknesses of collagen gel) is established to intrinsically specify and simulate the mechanics and microstructures of the mouse uterus. This brand-new and unique system is robust in supporting embryo invasion, as evidenced by the special interaction between the embryos and the UN system and successfully promoting E3.5 embryo development into the early organogenesis stage. This platform serves as a powerful tool for developmental biology and tissue engineering.
在构建体外培养平台以模拟子宫进行胚胎着床和进一步发育时，需要考虑子宫的基本物理特性，如机械性能和微观结构，但这些特性长期以来一直被忽视。在这里，我们基于对一系列参数（胶原凝胶浓度和厚度的变化）的系统研究，通过将胶原凝胶接枝到聚二甲基硅氧烷上来构建一个受子宫启发的小生境（UN），从而内在地指定和模拟小鼠子宫的力学和微观结构。这个全新独特的系统在支持胚胎入侵方面非常稳健，这可以从胚胎和 UN 系统之间的特殊相互作用以及成功促进 E3.5 胚胎发育到早期器官发生阶段得到证明。这个平台是发育生物学和组织工程的有力工具。
