Vaginal microbiome testing could transform women’s health by enabling earlier more accurate and personalised diagnosis and treatment for conditions ranging from common infections to infertility and cancer. In a collaborative review, the MHRA, alongside researchers from the University of Liverpool, King’s College Hospital London Ewha Women’s University and Biowave W Seoul explored its potential to revolutionise detection treatment and management of issues including miscarriage preterm birth gynaecological cancers and menopause-related complications. While the gut microbiome has been widely studied research into the vaginal microbiome has lagged despite its critical role in reproductive health and infection protection throughout a woman’s life. Experts such as Dr Chrysi Sergaki of the MHRA emphasise that we are only beginning to realise its power as a diagnostic tool while Dr Laura Goodfellow from the University of Liverpool notes that after years of mapping what is normal emerging vaginal microbiota tests could soon guide treatment and be integrated into routine clinical practice within the next decade to improve outcomes for women and girls.

Many diagnostic tools in women’s health remain imprecise, invasive, or subjective, often resulting in delayed diagnoses, missed opportunities for prevention, and inadequate treatment. The new review highlights how microbiome-based diagnostics particularly those focused on the vaginal microbiome could provide a paradigm shift, offering faster, more accurate, and highly personalised ways to detect and manage a broad spectrum of conditions. These include bacterial vaginosis sexually transmitted infections (STIs), endometriosis, infertility, and pregnancy-related complications such as miscarriage and preterm birth. Unlike conventional approaches microbiome testing has the potential to identify early subtle changes in microbial communities before symptoms become severe, enabling timely interventions and better outcomes.

The paper also underscores the persistent and historic underrepresentation of women in clinical research, which has significantly limited our understanding of female-specific conditions and delayed the development of effective diagnostics and therapies. This lack of representation has perpetuated critical gaps in healthcare, leaving many women without access to accurate or evidence-based tools for diagnosis and treatment.

To overcome these barriers and bring the promise of vaginal microbiome diagnostics into everyday clinical practice the authors urge a multi-pronged approach: substantial increases in funding for women’s health research the creation of standardised validated microbiome testing methods that can be adopted globally proactive and equitable inclusion of women in clinical trials to achieve balanced and representative data and the integration of microbiome-based screening into frontline healthcare systems. Together these steps could not only close existing gaps in care but also pave the way for a new era of precision diagnostics in women’s health improving quality of life and long-term outcomes for millions worldwide.

Source: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/researcher/news/articles/review-highlights-untapped-potential-of-the-vaginal-microbiome