Have you ever wondered if a mother’s vaginal bacteria are important for her daughter’s vaginal health? At Isala, we were very eager to dive deeper into this question! For my master’s thesis, I explored the valuable treasure of Isala data. We selected mothers and daughters who participated together in the first research phase. We hope that these mother-daughter pairs will lead to many new insights into the vaginal microbiome—very exciting! Discover quickly what this has yielded so far! 🙂
Where do our vaginal bacteria come from?
The Isala team has been researching the vaginal microbiome for several years now, but surprisingly, the exact origin of vaginal lactobacilli remains a great mystery. Mothers and daughters who participated together in Isala could be very valuable in unraveling this mystery! And so, the topic of my master’s thesis was born. 🙂
Let’s start at the beginning, quite literally. Most children are born via their mother’s birth canal, an environment rich in bacteria. The first bacteria a baby encounters are from the mother. These include vaginal bacteria, as well as bacteria from her intestines, skin, mouth, and breast milk. This initial contact is crucial for the further development and health of the child. Scientists have discovered that a mother’s gut bacteria can influence the composition of her child’s gut microbiome later in life. At Isala, we are currently investigating whether this phenomenon also applies to the vaginal microbiome. Some important questions arise: Are vaginal bacteria transferred from mother to daughter during birth? And if so, do these bacteria remain present in the daughter’s vagina later in life? This could mean that a mother’s vaginal bacteria can influence her daughter’s later vaginal health. Take a peek behind the scenes at the Isala lab to discover the methods and findings!
Are bacteria ‘inherited’?
We started with the pink swabs that thousands of participants sent back to our lab in the first research phase. The swabs from several mother-daughter pairs were safely stored in the large Isala freezer. From these swabs, we tried to grow as many lactobacilli as possible. How did we do this? To mimic the acidic environment of the vagina as closely as possible, we added acid to the growth medium. This growth medium is very important as it provides the lactobacilli with the right nutrients to grow. We tested various combinations of pH levels and growth media. Eventually, we managed to grow over 200 lactobacilli from nine different mother-daughter pairs or groups. We further examined these bacteria and looked at their genetic material, also known as DNA. It quickly became clear that there is still a lot to discover here!
Today, we can already reveal one small part of the puzzle! Some mothers and daughters appear to share very closely related vaginal bacteria. Cool! We are very excited about this result because it suggests that these bacteria might have been passed from mother to daughter during birth and remain part of the daughter’s vaginal microbiome years later. And by years later, we mean at least 18 years later. That’s quite a long time! Further research is needed to rule out other transmission routes, and that’s what we are actively working on in the Isala lab! It’s also possible that these similar bacteria reached both mother and daughter in another way, such as through the same diet, using the same bathroom, or washing clothes together. Either way, it’s possible that, along with your mother’s beautiful eyes, you also inherited the basis for your current vaginal microbiome from her. 😉
Further research with Maggie
These results suggest that vaginal bacteria can be transferred from mother to daughter. But you might also share these bacteria with your sisters, best friends, or even your partner. Fascinating, right? To investigate this in more detail, the Isala team has worked very hard behind the scenes to set up a new study, the Maggie study! Are you also curious about this cool study? Take a quick look at our webpage. 😉
Who am I?
Hey there, my name is Margo Hiel. Last year, I graduated from the University of Antwerp with a master’s degree in biomedical sciences. I concluded my final year with an enjoyable master’s thesis within the Isala team, where I was warmly welcomed. I enjoyed it so much that I returned for a few weeks in the summer as a job student. My days mainly consisted of cultivating lactobacilli from vaginal swabs of mothers and daughters who participated in Isala together. We also examined their genetic material and DNA. It quickly became clear that there is still a lot to discover here. I am already looking forward to the further results! Before my thesis began, I was already an Isala fangirl, but working on the project only increased my fascination with the vaginal microbiome. I am very curious about what there is yet to discover and hope to continue contributing to unraveling mysteries within microbiome research with Professor Sarah Lebeer in the future. 🙂