Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41580857›Full record

ArticleCell communication and signaling : CCS2026

Sex hormone-responsive human vaginal epithelial organoids: a novel in vitro platform for studying Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

Biya Zeng, Fanxuan Zhao, Feng Zhou, Weijia Gu, Fangying Sun, Wen Lv, Guangxiao Li, Yi Zhang, Xinyu Wang, Xiang Lin and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell communication and signaling : CCS, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Biya Zeng *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Fanxuan Zhao *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Feng Zhou *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Weijia GuDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Fangying SunDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Wen LvDepartment of Gynecology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Guangxiao LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Yi ZhangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Xinyu WangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Xiang LinDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Na LiuDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Yulu WangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Jianhua YangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China. yjh0121@126.com.
Songying ZhangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China. zhangsongying@zju.edu.cn.
Yongdong DaiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Protection and Promotion of Fertility, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health and Disease, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 Qingchun East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, 310016, China. daiyongdong@zju.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The vaginal epithelium, a hormone-sensitive barrier critical for reproductive health, lacks robust in vitro models due to primary tissue scarcity and existing systems’ limitations. Here, we established the first long-term, genetically stable human vaginal epithelial organoids (VEOs) using a tailored Matrigel-based culture medium that preserves the native stratified squamous architecture. Through transcriptomic and functional profiling, we identified progesterone as a key suppressor of immune defense and keratinization. Modeling Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection in VEOs recapitulated infection-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, senescence, and inflammation. Progesterone pretreatment significantly reduced ROS and cellular damage, suggesting hormonal modulation of cellular homeostasis. By integrating air-liquid interface (ALI) culture technique and exploring different proportions of Matrigel and collagen composition, we resolved the polarity limitations of three-dimensional (3D) organoids, enabling physiological modeling of infection-induced barrier dysfunction. This study establishes VEOs as a transformative model for dissecting hormone-microbe crosstalk in reproductive health and for accelerating therapeutic development against vaginal infections.

Indexed as

Chlamydia InfectionsChlamydia trachomatisEpithelial CellsGonadal Steroid HormonesOrganoidsProgesteroneVaginaFemaleHumansReactive Oxygen SpeciesGonadal Steroid HormonesProgesteroneReactive Oxygen SpeciesAir-liquid interface cultureChlamydia trachomatisProgesterone signalingVaginal epithelial organoids

Identifiers

PMID41580857
PMCPMC12910790

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.