Review
Immunology
Xiaodi Chen, Yune Lu, Tao Chen, Rongguo Li
Summary: The vaginal microbiome is crucial for women's health, with bacterial vaginosis (BV) associated with various adverse gynecologic and obstetric outcomes. Research on diagnosis and treatment strategies for BV is making progress.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Ngugi Mwenda, Ruth Nduati, Mathew Kosgey, Gregory Kerich
Summary: The study investigated the impact of BV on post-delivery health of HIV-infected women and morbidity of infants at birth, 6 months, and 12 months. Exposure to BV was associated with adverse maternal conditions, maternal hospital admission, and higher frequency of gastrointestinal morbidity among infants.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Alexander Swidsinski, Vera Loening-Baucke, Sonja Swidsinski, Jack D. Sobel, Yvonne Doerffel, Alexander Guschin
Summary: This study investigated the adhesive and cohesive patterns of different bacteria in vaginal discharge of women diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis. The results showed that the bacteria in vaginal smears were not randomly assembled, but had specific distribution patterns based on their cohesiveness and adherence to epithelial cells. The study also identified two main types of bacterial vaginosis: biofilm vaginosis and bacterial excess vaginosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Agnes Baud, Kenzo-Hugo Hillion, Celine Plainvert, Veronique Tessier, Asmaa Tazi, Laurent Mandelbrot, Claire Poyart, Sean P. Kennedy
Summary: The vaginal microbiota, primarily composed of lactobacilli, plays a crucial role in women's reproductive and general health. Disruption of the balance of this microbiota can lead to conditions like bacterial vaginosis and affect pregnancy outcomes. Understanding the impact of changes in composition and diversity on pregnancy outcomes, especially in women with high prevalence of Gardnerella vaginalis, is still limited.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
William R. Shoemaker, Stuart E. Jones, Mario E. Muscarella, Megan G. Behringer, Brent K. Lehmkuhl, Jay T. Lennon
Summary: Research shows that under limited resources, most bacterial taxa can survive, with a wide range of extinction times. Despite the lack of exogenous resources, bacterial populations continue to evolve and acquire numerous mutations. While adapting to environmental pressures, bacterial lifespan is extended through scavenging dead cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gonzalo Ferreira, Axel Santander, Florencia Savio, Mariana Guirado, Luis Sobrevia, Garth L. Nicolson
Summary: The molecular evolution of life on earth, alongside changing environmental conditions, has led to an increase in endemic and pandemic emerging infectious diseases. Understanding the impact of infections such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Zika virus, and Mycoplasma species on pregnancy and early childhood is crucial. In-depth study of the structural characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms of these infections is essential for reducing morbidity and mortality rates.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sandra Dedrick, Vaishnavi Warrier, Katherine P. Lemon, Babak Momeni
Summary: To accurately predict outcomes of microbial community manipulation, an accurate modeling framework is needed. By conducting in vitro experiments using cell-free spent medium, researchers can determine if the commonly used Lotka-Volterra (LV) model is appropriate for describing microbial interactions. The study shows that LV can be a good approximation for low-nutrient and complex environments. These findings help clarify the applicability of LV models for predictive modeling of microbial communities.
Article
Immunology
Huanrong Li, Mengting Dong, Wenjuan Xie, Wenhui Qi, Fei Teng, Huiyang Li, Ye Yan, Chen Wang, Cha Han, Fengxia Xue
Summary: This study investigated the clinical and microbiological characteristics of mixed vaginitis in late pregnancy and its adverse pregnancy outcomes. The findings showed that patients with mixed vaginitis had different clinical symptoms and pathogen types compared to those with single vaginitis, and mixed vaginitis increased the incidence and risk of peripartum infection.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Linda Abou Chacra, Florence Fenollar, Khoudia Diop
Summary: The vaginal microbiome is an important part of the human microbiome, characterized by unique conditions. Increased diversity in the microbiota can lead to dysbiosis such as bacterial vaginosis, with significant health consequences. Diagnosis and treatment methods are evolving, and research on this topic is becoming increasingly important.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jacob H. Elnaggar, Caleb M. Ardizzone, Nuno Cerca, Evelyn Toh, Pawel Laniewski, Rebecca A. Lillis, Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz, Alison J. Quayle, Christina A. Muzny, Christopher M. Taylor
Summary: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal dysbiosis characterized by the formation of a polymicrobial biofilm on vaginal epithelial cells. The standard method for quantifying the bacterial burden of BV biofilm using Escherichia coli as a reference has limitations. A novel qPCR standard using different combinations of vaginal bacteria was proposed to accurately quantify bacterial burden in vaginal microbial communities, which showed superior accuracy compared to the traditional E. coli reference standard.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Vidya Bhakta, Sadia Aslam, Aseel Aljaghwani
Summary: Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) has a prevalence of 20.3% in pregnant women, and is significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm labor, miscarriage, and low birth weight. Early screening and raising awareness among women may help prevent BV.
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Laura A. Magee, Jeffrey Bone, Salwa Banoo Owasil, Joel Singer, Terry Lee, Mrutunjaya B. Bellad, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Alexander G. Logan, Salesio E. Macuacua, Ashalata A. Mallapur, Hannah L. Nathan, Rahat N. Qureshi, Esperanca Sevene, Andrew H. Shennan, Anifa Vala, Marianne Vidler, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Peter von Dadelszen
Summary: In pregnancy, higher blood pressure levels and visit-to-visit variability are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, with each 5 mm Hg increase in blood pressure levels leading to increased odds of the composite outcome. Increased blood pressure visit-to-visit variability is also associated with increased odds of hypertension and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Amy Y. X. Yu, Kara A. A. Nerenberg, Christina Diong, Jiming Fang, Anna Chu, Moira K. K. Kapral, Jodi D. D. Edwards, Sonia R. R. Dancey, Peter C. C. Austin, Nathalie Auger
Summary: This retrospective cohort study evaluated long-term maternal health outcomes after pregnancy-associated stroke and found that pregnant patients with stroke had a lower risk of death and all-cause readmission compared to non-pregnant patients with stroke at 1-year follow-up, but this difference decreased over time. Pregnant patients with stroke had a higher risk of death and readmission compared to pregnant patients without stroke at 1-year follow-up, and this association persisted for a decade.
Review
Microbiology
Giovanna Cocomazzi, Silvia De Stefani, Lino Del Pup, Simone Palini, Matteo Buccheri, Mariangela Primiterra, Natale Scianname, Raffaele Faioli, Annamaria Maglione, Giorgio Maria Baldini, Domenico Baldini, Valerio Pazienza
Summary: The vaginal microbiota is crucial for the health of the female genital tract and is associated with gynecological disorders and infertility. Lactobacilli, the dominant species in the female genital tract, prevent the growth of pathogenic microorganisms through the production of lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins. Imbalance and dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiota can be caused by factors such as hormonal changes, age of reproduction, sexual practices, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and antimicrobial drug use.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katarzyna Smolarczyk, Beata Mlynarczyk-Bonikowska, Ewa Rudnicka, Dariusz Szukiewicz, Blazej Meczekalski, Roman Smolarczyk, Wojciech Pieta
Summary: Sexually transmitted infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Mycoplasma genitalium are common causes of pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to tubal factor infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Antibiotic resistance in these pathogens is a significant problem, making treatment options and molecular approaches a key focus for researchers.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Janske Nel, Celine M. Desmet, Benoit Driesschaert, Patrick Saulnier, Laurent Lemaire, Bernard Gallez
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2019)
Article
Microbiology
Cathy N. John, Pedro M. D. S. Abrantes, Bhupesh K. Prusty, Dharam Ablashi, Charlene W. J. Africa
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Janske Nel, Florence Franconi, Nicolas Joudiou, Patrick Saulnier, Bernard Gallez, Laurent Lemaire
MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING C-MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2019)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Pedro M. D. S. Abrantes, Charlene W. J. Africa
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Joseph Witbooi, Charlene Africa, Alan Christoffels, Ibrahim Hussin Ibrahim Ahmed
Article
Plant Sciences
Selena O. Adewinogo, Rajan Sharma, Charlene W. J. Africa, Jeanine L. Marnewick, Ahmed A. Hussein
Summary: The essential oil of Oncosiphon suffruticosum from South Africa is effective in treating respiratory and skin ailments, with camphor, filifolone, chrysanthenone, 1,8-cineole, and terpinen-4-ol as the main constituents. It shows strong antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and has a sun protection factor of 2.299, making it a potential cosmeceutical for sunscreen applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Janske Nel, David Siniscalco, Cecilia Hognon, Mathilde Bouche, Nadege Touche, Emilie Brunner, Philippe C. Gros, Antonio Monari, Stephanie Grandemange, Gregory Francius
Summary: This study characterized the effects of iron-based complexes on the structural and morphological properties of breast cell lines. The complexes caused cell softening, increased size, and subsequent re-stiffening. They also induced cytoskeletal and mitochondrial reorganization. Molecular dynamic simulation suggested direct internalization of the complexes and demonstrated that their effects were not solely due to physical interaction with the cell membrane.
Review
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Banele Ndlovu, Charlene Africa, Jeremy Klaasen, Farzana Rahiman
Summary: Medicinal plant extracts from South Africa show significant antifungal activity against fungal skin infections. Most fungal pathogens are developing resistance to synthetic antifungal agents. South African medicinal plants have the potential to be developed as alternative treatments for fungal skin infections.
JOURNAL OF HERBAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Umar M. Badeggi, Sylvester I. Omoruyi, Enas Ismail, Charlene Africa, Subelia Botha, Ahmed A. Hussein
Summary: The study demonstrated the potential of plant phytoconstituents in the green synthesis of nanoparticles, showcasing enhanced antimicrobial and anticancer properties of silver nanoparticles synthesized with hypoxoside and Hypoxis hemerocallidea extracts. The nanoparticles showed good biocompatibility and cytotoxic activity against specific glioblastoma cell lines.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Janske Nel, Kamil Elkhoury, Emilie Velot, Arnaud Bianchi, Samir Acherar, Gregory Francius, Ali Tamayol, Stephanie Grandemange, Elmira Arab-Tehrany
Summary: Despite progress in breast cancer research, it remains a leading cause of female mortality globally. Chemotherapies have limitations, such as lack of specificity and multi-drug resistance. Liposomes as drug delivery systems have potential, but few are clinically approved and none have active targeting. This review summarizes recent developments in actively targeted liposomal drug delivery systems for breast cancer.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Infectious Diseases
Pedro M. D. S. Abrantes, Kauthar Behardien, Charlene W. J. Africa
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Pedro M. D. S. Abrantes, Randall Fisher, Patrick J. D. Bouic, Carole P. McArthur, Burtram C. Fielding, Charlene W. J. Africa
Summary: This study identified heat shock proteins mediating fungicidal activity and pH responsive proteins associated with increased pathogenicity in oral Candida isolates. ABC multidrug transporter efflux pumps and estrogen binding proteins were only found in C. albicans fractions, while ergosterol biosynthesis proteins were identified in four species. The combination of various mechanisms appears to be instrumental for Candida host colonization and drug resistance emergence in HIV-infected individuals.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Umar M. Badeggi, Jelili A. Badmus, Subelia S. Botha, Enas Ismail, Jeanine L. Marnewick, Charlene W. J. Africa, Ahmed A. Hussein
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL BIOMATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Charlene W. J. Africa, Mervyn Turton
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DENTISTRY
(2019)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Evelyn Kaambo, Charlene Africa, Ramadhani Chambuso, Jo-Ann Shelley Passmore
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2018)