| dc.description.abstract | The vagina is an organ of utmost importance in reproductive and sexual health. Its
health is largely determined by the status of the niche microbial community that lives within
it: the vaginal microbiome. A vaginal microbiome dominated by vaginal Lactobacillus species
is typically considered an indicator of good health, while deviations from this dogma are
considered unstable and a marker for poor health, typically leading to a diagnosis of
bacterial vaginosis. A dysbiotic vaginal microbiome has also been associated with other
conditions such as infertility, preterm birth, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, etc. Until
recently, data on the constitution of the vaginal microbiome has been limited and the true
impact of this microbial community on human health was underappreciated. In recent years,
as the impact of the gut microbiome on human health has been unravelled and shown
promising clinical applications, the vaginal microbiome has now piqued the interest of
researchers and clinicians. Compared to other sites of the reproductive tract, the vaginal
microbiome can be easily sampled and thus screened, making it a desirable testing target.
This raises questions as to the predictive capacity of vaginal microbiome data. Identifying screenable biomarkers within the human vaginal microbiome would be pertinent to human
reproductive and sexual health, creating new avenues of intervention for assisted reproduction, disease prevention and management, reduction of infant mortality, etc. This
calls for an in-depth analysis of the feasibility of using the vaginal microbiome as a predictive
tool in healthcare by analysing past and current trends from bench to bedside and examining
where and how it could be applied, which is the focus of this review. | |
