Impact of a vaginal microbiota metabolite on epithelium integrity and HIV susceptibility

Studies have shown that women colonised with non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota (such as women with bacterial vaginosis, BV) are at increased risk of acquiring HIV compared to women colonised with optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, typically dominated by Lactobacillus spp.  We have discovered that optimal vaginal Lactobacillus spp. make a product that has antimicrobial activity and direct anti-inflammatory effects on cervicovaginal epithelial cells; however its ability to modulate the cervicovaginal mucosal barrier is unknown.

2019-2023

In this study we investigated how a factor produced by optimal microbiota augments the cervicovaginal mucosal barrier to prevent HIV acquisition using epithelial cell models, transcriptomics as well as metaproteomics analysis of vaginal samples from adolescent girls and young women in South Africa.

Bacterial vaginosis affects over 1 in 5 women of reproductive age globally and increases the risk of a women acquiring and transmitting HIV. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in some areas of sub-Saharan reach up to 50% where HIV is highly prevalent.  Defining whether the vaginal microbiome product can strengthen the epithelial barrier will lead to translation of this product into intravaginal strategies to prevent HIV acquisition.