Evatar is a new exciting technological advance that has just been added to the field of reproductive health. It’s a complete, robotic replica of the female reproductive system. The team of researchers from Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Draper Laboratory developed Evatar and it comes equipped with a complete uterus, ovaries and a menstrual cycle. Made from human and mouse tissue, it is able to mimic the 28-day menstrual cycle.
Evatar also produces hormones, often the cause of many reproductive system complications from cancer and fibroids to endometriosis and infertility. Scientists hope to use this device in order to study different treatment options for conditions, which are often treated by surgery. Ideally, researchers one day hope to use a patient’s stem cells to create an Evatar that will act as a personalized model of her reproductive system. This will allow doctors to prepare a treatment plan that is more individualized, isolating which drugs work best for which patients, for instance. This is especially good news for women hoping to get to the root cause of their infertility, whether it be a result of low FSH, POR (Premature Ovarian Failure) or DOR (Diminished Ovarian Reserve).
To read more about Evatar, check out this recent New York Times article.
And if you’d like more in-depth reading, here is a link to the direct medical article.