Finding a Balance in the Vaginal Microbiome: How Do We Treat and Prevent the Occurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis?
Rebecca Jane Joseph,
Hooi-Leng Ser,
Yi-He Kuai,
Loh Teng-Hern Tan,
Valliammai Jayanthi Thirunavuk Arasoo,
Vengadesh Letchumanan,
Lijing Wang,
Priyia Pusparajah,
Bey-Hing Goh,
Nurul-Syakima Ab Mutalib,
Kok-Gan Chan,
Learn-Han Lee
Affiliations
Rebecca Jane Joseph
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Hooi-Leng Ser
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Yi-He Kuai
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Loh Teng-Hern Tan
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Valliammai Jayanthi Thirunavuk Arasoo
Clinical School Johor Bahru, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Johor Bahru 80100, Malaysia
Vengadesh Letchumanan
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Lijing Wang
Vascular Biology Research Institute, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Priyia Pusparajah
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Bey-Hing Goh
Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research Group (BMEX), School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Nurul-Syakima Ab Mutalib
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Kok-Gan Chan
Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Learn-Han Lee
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been reported in one-third of women worldwide at different life stages, due to the complex balance in the ecology of the vaginal microbiota. It is a common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge and is associated with other health issues. Since the first description of anaerobic microbes associated with BV like Gardnerella vaginalis in the 1950s, researchers have stepped up the game by incorporating advanced molecular tools to monitor and evaluate the extent of dysbiosis within the vaginal microbiome, particularly on how specific microbial population changes compared to a healthy state. Moreover, treatment failure and BV recurrence rate remain high despite the standard antibiotic treatment. Consequently, researchers have been probing into alternative or adjunct treatments, including probiotics or even vaginal microbiota transplants, to ensure successful treatment outcomes and reduce the colonization by pathogenic microbes of the female reproductive tract. The current review summarizes the latest findings in probiotics use for BV and explores the potential of vaginal microbiota transplants in restoring vaginal health.