The Human Vaginal Microbiota: from Clinical Medicine to Models to Mechanisms

Overview

Journal Curr Opin Microbiol

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2024 Jan 12

PMID 38215548

Authors

Samantha Ottinger

Clare M Robertson

Holly Branthoover

Kathryn A Patras

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The composition of the vaginal microbiota is linked to numerous reproductive health problems, including increased susceptibility to infection, pregnancy complications, and impaired vaginal tissue repair; however, the mechanisms contributing to these adverse outcomes are not yet fully defined. In this review, we highlight recent clinical advancements associating vaginal microbiome composition and function with health outcomes. Subsequently, we provide a summary of emerging models employed to identify microbe-microbe interactions contributing to vaginal health, including metagenomic sequencing, multi-omics approaches, and advances in vaginal microbiota cultivation. Last, we review new in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models, such as organoids and humanized microbiota murine models, used to define and mechanistically explore host-microbe interactions at the vaginal mucosa.

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