Elucidating the impact of probiotics on the fungal microbiome: Mechanisms of interkingdom interactions

细菌和真菌之间的相互作用在自然界中无处不在，但人们对其中的机制知之甚少。这些领域间的相互作用对健康人类的体内平衡至关重要的一个环境是阴道微生物菌群。通常在阴道微生物群中占主导地位的细菌数量减少会导致真菌（如白色念珠菌）过度生长，75%的健康女性一生中至少会出现一次这种情况。这种不平衡与巨大的经济成本有关，并对生活质量产生负面影响。仅在美国，用于治疗这种疾病的非处方抗真菌药物的年度支出就超过2.7亿美元，顺势疗法药物的销售额超过4亿美元。阴道微生物群内稳态的破坏可由妊娠引起的正常生理变化、抗生素的使用、未控制的糖尿病、免疫功能受损、口服避孕药和宿主对真菌病原体的遗传易感性引起。相关症状不仅可归因于真菌过度生长，也可归因于过度的宿主免疫反应。益生菌，包括通常存在于阴道微生物群中的乳酸杆菌，已经成为促进阴道微生物群平衡的一种有希望的策略，尽管其中的机制仍然是谜。这项工作将通过领先的学术研究人员和Lallemand健康解决方案之间的合作伙伴关系揭示益生菌支持微生物稳态的机制。Lallemand是益生菌领域的先驱，有一个致力于女性健康的重大项目。通过这种伙伴关系，本研究将评估

Interactions between bacteria and fungi are ubiquitous in nature, yet very little is known about the mechanisms involved. One environment where these interkingdom interactions are crucial for homeostasis in healthy humans is the vaginal microbial flora. A decline in abundance of bacteria that normally dominate the vaginal microbiome can lead to overgrowth of fungi such as Candida albicans, and this occurs in ~75% of healthy women at least once in their lifetime. This imbalance is associated with significant economic costs and has a negative impact on quality of life. The annual expenditure on non-prescription antifungals for this condition exceeds $270 million in the US alone, with homeopathic drug sales exceeding $400 million. Disruption of homeostasis in the vaginal microbiome can arise from normal physiological changes that accompany pregnancy, or from the use of antibiotics, uncontrolled diabetes, compromised immune function, oral contraceptives, and host genetic susceptibility towards fungal pathogens. The associated symptoms are attributable not only to fungal overgrowth, but also to excessive host immune responses. Probiotics, including Lactobacillus species normally present in the vaginal microbiome, have emerged as a promising strategy to promote balance in the vaginal microbiome, though the mechanisms involved remain enigmatic. This work will uncover the mechanisms by which probiotics support microbial homeostasis through a partnership between a leading academic researcher and Lallemand Health Solutions. Lallemand is a pioneer in probiotics, with a major program dedicated to women's health. Through this partnership, this research will assess the capacity of Lallemand probiotic species to impair the capacity of C. albicans to exploit changes in the host microbiome, and will determine the mechanisms by which they support maintenance of healthy human vaginal microbiota. This research will allow Lallemand to select the most suitable probiotics for future nutritional programs, and is poised to lead to new market opportunities. Ultimately, this program has potential to stimulate economic growth in Canada and to improve the quality of life of women in Canada and globally.