Development of Human Vaginal Epithelial Organoids as a Model for Epithelial Homeostasis and Host

While the vaginal epithelium is essential for female reproductive health, a mechanistic understanding of its homeostasis and diseases has remained elusive, in part because of the lack of model systems that recapitulate the stem cell niche of the native tissue. Here, we establish human vaginal epithelial organoids (hVEOs) and infect hVEOs with Candida demonstrated the model's capacity to recapitulate specific inflammatory responses, confirming its utility for host-pathogen research. In summary, this study provides a robust, physiologically relevant model for dissecting the molecular pathways of human vaginal homeostasis and disease, enabling the definition of pathogenic mechanisms and the screening of novel therapeutic strategies.