Emerging Technologies in Regenerative Medicine for Women’s Health

Advances in stem cell biology are redefining regenerative medicine with increasing relevance for women’s health. Female specific tissues undergo continuous remodeling across development, reproductive life, and aging, and are uniquely shaped by hormonal regulation, pregnancy, and environmental exposures. Despite their clinical importance, these tissues have historically been understudied due to limitations of conventional experimental models. Emerging stem cell-based technologies now provide human relevant platforms that enable mechanistic investigation of female tissue development, disease, and therapeutic response.

Stem cell derived organoid models have emerged as transformative tools for modeling female reproductive tissues. Three dimensional organoids preserve cellular heterogeneity and tissue architecture while supporting long term culture, genetic manipulation, and patient specific disease modeling. Endometrial, placental, fallopian tube, and ovarian organoids enable investigation of tissue regeneration, implantation biology, placental development, infertility, and gynecological disorders. When integrated with single cell profiling and advanced imaging, these systems provide critical insight into stem cell driven tissue renewal and pathological remodeling.

Microfluidic and organ on chip platforms further enhance these models by introducing dynamic control over biochemical gradients, mechanical cues, and cell-cell interactions. Female specific microphysiological systems allow modeling of hormonal cycling, vascular interfaces, and immune interactions that are essential for reproductive function. These technologies enable more accurate simulation of in vivo conditions and are particularly valuable for studying pregnancy related disorders, reproductive toxicity, and therapeutic responses under controlled and reproducible conditions.

In parallel, new approach methodologies and in vitro alternatives to animal models are gaining prominence in toxicology and regulatory science. Stem cell derived organoids and microphysiological platforms provide human relevant systems for assessing pharmaceutical, chemical, and environmental impacts on female reproductive health, supporting improved translational accuracy and alignment with evolving regulatory expectations.

As these technologies advance toward clinical and regulatory application, ethical, social, and governance considerations remain central. Responsible tissue sourcing, informed consent, data stewardship, equitable access, and clear regulatory pathways are essential for sustainable translation. Integrating ethical frameworks with technological innovation is critical to ensuring that advances in regenerative medicine effectively serve women’s health.

This Research Topic brings together interdisciplinary perspectives to advance emerging stem cell technologies for female specific biology, disease modeling, and regenerative applications.

Key research areas include but not limited to

• Development and validation of female reproductive organoid models

• Stem cell dynamics in endometrial, placental, fallopian tube, and ovarian regeneration

• Microfluidic and organ on chip platforms for female specific tissue modeling

• New approach methodologies for reproductive toxicology and safety assessment

• Integration of multi tissue systems to model hormonal and systemic interactions

• Translational applications of stem cell technologies in women’s health disorder

• Ethics, regulation, and responsible innovation in female-specific stem cell and advanced in vitro models

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Regenerative medicine, women’s health, stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, translational medicine

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.