Karen Pendergrass, Standards Team

This study examines the association between endometriosis and gut microbiota, highlighting significant differences in microbial diversity and composition. Women with endometriosis showed altered gut microbial profiles compared to healthy controls, with specific bacterial shifts linked to gastrointestinal symptoms and hormonal therapy. These findings suggest microbiota-targeted therapies may benefit endometriosis management.

This review links gut microbiota disruption to the development and symptoms of PCOS, including insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism. It highlights microbiota-targeted therapies—like probiotics, prebiotics, and traditional medicine—as promising options to improve PCOS outcomes and repositions the gut microbiome as a central factor in understanding and treating the disorder.

PCOS is linked with higher gut inflammation, as shown by elevated fecal calprotectin. This may help guide diagnosis and treatment.

This review investigates the hypothesis that severe anemia contributes to the elevated risk of invasive bacterial infections in African children through dysregulation of iron homeostasis, including the disruption of hepcidin—a hepatic hormone that governs iron availability in the body. The authors synthesize evidence from epidemiological, mechanistic, and experimental studies, proposing that the […]

Vaginal Microbiome Transplant (VMT) involves transferring healthy vaginal flora from a donor to a recipient to treat conditions like recurrent bacterial vaginosis. It aims to restore balance in the vaginal microbiome, potentially offering a non-pharmacological treatment option for persistent gynecological disorders.

The study analyzed the genetic evolution of Gardnerella vaginalis, focusing on its resistance and virulence under Darwinian positive selection. It identifies new drug targets and emphasizes the pathogen’s evolving resistance mechanisms.

The study finds that hydrogen peroxide vaginal washout effectively alleviates recurrent bacterial vaginosis symptoms, restoring pH and eliminating pathogens in most cases, though it does not fully restore Lactobacillus populations.

The study shows that Lactobacillus crispatus inhibits the growth of Gardnerella vaginalis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by lowering pH and producing lactic acid, offering insights into microbiome-targeted interventions for bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted infections.

This study demonstrates that 250 mg vitamin C vaginal tablets reduce the recurrence of bacterial vaginosis, offering an effective and safe prophylactic treatment.

This study evaluates the use of intravaginal boric acid for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis, highlighting its long-term tolerability, high patient satisfaction, and rare side effects.

Pueraria flower extract (PFE) inhibits endometriotic cell adhesion, migration, and MMP expression, reducing lesions in a mouse model, offering potential for non-hormonal therapies.

Facultative anaerobes are microorganisms—primarily bacteria—that possess the metabolic flexibility to grow in both the presence and absence of oxygen.

Copper dysregulation plays a definitive role in the pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Elevated copper levels increase the risk of developing T1DM by 15-fold per standard deviation, highlighting copper’s critical influence on oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways central to the disease. Studies show that T1DM patients exhibit higher copper levels and […]

This review explores microbiota-targeted interventions for mental health, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, FMT, and diet. While promising, large-scale trials are needed to refine evidence-based strategies. Microbiota-based therapies may serve as adjuncts for psychiatric care, highlighting the gut-brain axis as a key target for future research.

This study examined gut microbiota alterations in Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy (IgAN) and Membranous Nephropathy (MN), identifying unique and shared microbial changes linked to disease pathology. The findings suggest potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets through the gut-kidney axis.

The study examined the association between urinary lead concentrations and changes in the gut microbiota composition in a population-based sample of adults. The research explored how varying levels of lead exposure could impact microbial diversity, richness, and specific bacterial taxa within the gut. Who was studied? The study population comprised adults […]

The study in question focused on the use of transvaginal photobiomodulation (TV-PBM) as a treatment for chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women. Here are the details based on the key aspects of the study: What was studied? The research investigated whether transvaginal photobiomodulation could effectively reduce chronic pelvic pain in women. This was a […]

This review explores the role of trace elements and oxidative stress in endometriosis, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets. It underscores the need for further research into the trace elements’ roles in endometriotic lesions.

This review underscores the critical role of gut microbiota and TMAO in heart failure pathophysiology and opens up new avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting the gut–TMAO–HF axis. The findings suggest promising directions for future research and clinical applications aimed at improving HF patient care and outcomes.

The study focused on characterizing the gut and vaginal microbiome profiles of women with endometriosis compared to controls without the disease, exploring the potential of these profiles as less-invasive diagnostic tools for assessing the severity of endometriosis. Who was studied? Fifty-nine women participated in the study, including 35 with endometriosis and […]

This review discusses the increasingly recognized role of the human microbiome in health and disease, particularly focusing on its implications for erectile dysfunction (ED). The review highlights several key points: Evidence Linking Microbiome to ED Risk Factors: There is compelling evidence associating the gut microbiome with conditions known to contribute to ED, including diabetes, hypertension, […]

This review highlights the gut and genital microbiome’s roles in estrogen-driven conditions like endometriosis, infertility, and CPP, emphasizing dysbiosis’ impact on inflammation and estrogen metabolism.

The study focused on terpenes derived from plants as potential antimicrobial agents, particularly their effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant infections. This included an exploration of the diverse mechanisms by which terpenes combat microbial resistance, their bioavailability, and the synergistic effects when combined with other antimicrobials. Who was studied? The research mainly involved microbial […]

The study linked reduced oral microbiome diversity and altered microbial profiles to breast cancer and non-malignant breast disease, highlighting strong correlations between oral and fecal microbiomes in cases versus controls. Genera such as Porphyromonas showed significant inverse associations with breast cancer risk.