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REVIEW article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Embryonic Development
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1482054
This article is part of the Research Topic Cellular Micro-Environment of the Endometrium: Reproduction, Embryo Implantation, and Placentation - From Bench to Bedside and Beyond to Tissue Engineering View all 3 articles

Exploring the Black Box of Human Reproduction: Endometrial Organoids and Assembloids: Generation, Implantation Modeling, and Future Clinical Perspectives

Provisionally accepted
Mária Kleinová Mária Kleinová 1Ivan Varga Ivan Varga 1*Michaela Debreová-Čeháková Michaela Debreová-Čeháková 1Martin Valent Martin Valent 2Martin Klein Martin Klein 1
  • 1 Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 2 University Hospital Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    One of the critical processes in human reproduction that is still poorly understood is implantation. The implantation of an early human embryo is considered a significant limitation of successful pregnancy. Therefore, researchers are trying to develop an ideal model of endometrium in vitro that can mimic the endometrial micro-environment in vivo as much as possible. The ultimate goal of endometrial modeling is to study the molecular interactions at the embryo-maternal interface and to use this model as an in vitro diagnostic tool for infertility. Significant progress has been made over the years in generating such models. The first experiments of endometrial modeling involved animal models, which are undoubtedly valuable, but at the same time, their dissimilarities with human tissue represent a significant obstacle to further research. This fact led researchers to develop basic monolayer coculture systems using uterine cells obtained from biopsies and, later on, complex and multilayer coculture models. With successful tissue engineering methods and various cultivation systems, it is possible to form endometrial two-dimensional (2D) models to three-dimensional (3D) organoids and novel assembloids that can recapitulate many aspects of endometrial tissue architecture and cell composition. These organoids have already helped to provide new insight into the embryo-endometrium interplay. The main aim of this paper is a comprehensive review of past and current approaches to endometrial model generation, their feasibility, and potential clinical application for infertility treatment.

    Keywords: endometrial organoids1, assembloids2, implantation modeling 3, Infertility4, 3D modeling5

    Received: 17 Aug 2024; Accepted: 09 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Kleinová, Varga, Debreová-Čeháková, Valent and Klein. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ivan Varga, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, 813 72, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.