Multi-cellular engineered living systems to assess reproductive toxicology.

Toxicants and some drugs can negatively impact reproductive health. Many toxicants haven't been tested due to lack of available models. The impact of many drugs taken during pregnancy to address maternal health may adversely affect fetal development with life-long effects and clinical trials do not examine toxicity effects on the maternal-fetal interface, requiring indirect assessment of safety and efficacy. Due to current gaps in reproductive toxicological knowledge and limitations of animal models, multi-cellular engineered living systems may provide solutions for modeling reproductive physiology and pathology for chemical and xenobiotic toxicity studies. Multi-cellular engineered living systems, such as microphysiological systems (MPS) and organoids, model of functional units of tissues. In this review, we highlight the key functions and structures of human reproductive organs and well-known representative toxicants afflicting these systems. We then discuss current approaches and specific studies where scientists have used MPS or organoids to recreate in vivo markers and cellular responses of the female and male reproductive system, as well as pregnancy-associated placenta formation and embryo development. We provide specific examples of organoids and organ-on-chip that have been used for toxicological purposes with varied success. Finally, we address current issues related to usage of MPS, emerging techniques for improving upon these complications, and improvements needed to make MPS more capable in assessing reproductive toxicology. Overall, multi-cellular engineered living systems have considerable promise to serve as a suitable, alternative reproductive biological model compared to animal studies and 2D culture.

Turning the Tide for Academic Women in STEM: A Postpandemic Vision for Supporting Female Scientists.

The "leaky pipeline" of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which is especially acute for academic mothers, continues to be problematic as women face continuous cycles of barriers and obstacles to advancing further in their fields. The severity and prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic both highlighted and exacerbated the unique challenges faced by female graduate students, postdocs, research staff, and principal investigators because of lockdowns, quarantines, school closures, lack of external childcare, and heightened family responsibilities, on top of professional responsibilities. This perspective provides recommendations of specific policies and practices that combat stigmas faced by women in STEM and can help them retain their careers. We discuss actions that can be taken to support women within academic institutions, journals, government/federal centers, university-level departments, and individual research groups. These recommendations are based on prior initiatives that have been successful in having a positive impact on gender equity─a central tenet of our postpandemic vision for the STEM workforce.

Assessing the Attitude of Tampa Bay Youth toward HIV Self-Testing Kits.

In adults, data support the utility and acceptance of home HIV testing; however, in youth, particularly in the US, this has not been well studied. In this exploratory study, we surveyed Tampa Bay youth aged 16-27 and attending sexual health clinics between 1 June and 31 June 2018 (n = 133) regarding attitudes and perceptions towards HIV self-testing. While most indicated the clinic over home when asked for preferred testing location, study population and subgroup analysis demonstrated a positive response (agree) to Likert-scale questions regarding the use of home HIV self-testing kits and negative responses (strongly disagree) to "would not use self-testing kit". There was a significant difference between genders in testing location preference (p = 0.031) for those respondents that specified gender (n = 123), with males more likely to prefer home testing than females. This study suggests an openness of youth towards HIV home testing that could help to expand the number of youth aware of their HIV status.