A burning sensation, itching, redness, swelling of the vagina or vulva… It sounds very unpleasant. And it certainly is! These are all uncomfortable symptoms that can accompany a vaginal infection. Most of the time, this type of infection is caused by an overgrowth of a specific yeast: Candida. This condition is commonly known as a vaginal yeast infection, or more scientifically, as “vulvovaginal candidiasis.” In the DeVEnIR study, we aim to further investigate this type of infection. How will we do this? Read on quickly!
Vaginal yeast infections: a silent war
Unfortunately, vaginal yeast infections are far too common. About 70% of women experience this at least once in their lifetime. More alarmingly, an estimated 5-10% of all women experience it at least four times a year…. Despite these high numbers and the discomfort associated with a vaginal yeast infection, there is still a taboo surrounding the issue. Of course, vaginal yeast infections are not the nicest topic of conversation, but too often women still suffer in silence. This also became clear when reviewing the Isala questionnaires from our first research phase. As such, 80% of the participants found it very “embarrassing” to talk about vaginal infections… So, it is very clear that fungal infections, like other vaginal infections, do not receive the social and scientific attention they truly deserve. You’ve been following Isala for a while now, so you know our team is eager to make a change. And that’s where I come in with my PhD!
Fighting against vaginal yeast infections!
During my PhD, vaginal yeast infections have a central role. But how exactly will I approach this? In order to take a closer look and investigate these infections, we first need a lot of samples from women who suffer from them, as well as from asymptomatic women (they usually don’t experience any problems). Why do we need these different groups? Well, so we can examine the differences in their vaginal microbiome and link them to certain factors, such as diet, hygiene, and sexual habits, for example. From their samples, we can also culture all kinds of microorganisms such as Candida yeasts, but also our favorite bacteria that we could potentially use against such infections, namely lactobacilli! With complex lab tests, we can then further investigate why the overgrowth of Candida in the vagina causes those unpleasant symptoms, and how the good properties of lactobacilli can be used to counteract these infections. But that’s not all! We also want to discover which immunological substances and metabolites are related to vaginal yeast infections. Quite ambitious, in other words… But fortunately, we are not alone! For this project (sponsored by FWO) we are working closely with the one and only Prof. Gilbert Donders (the gynecologist at Isala), with our colleagues at the KU Leuven led by Prof. Patrick Van Dijck, and even research center abroad, namely the Hans Knöll Institute led by Dr. Mark Gresnigt in Germany.
Who am I?
Hi everyone! My name is Maline Victor and I have been a PhD student in Professor Sarah Lebeer’s lab since October 2023. I obtained a master’s degree in bioengineering at UGent. My research will mainly focus on the role of the vaginal microbiome in (recurrent) vaginal fungal infections within the DeVEnIR study. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a very unpleasant vaginal yeast infection often caused by a yeast, Candida. Did you know that nearly 70% of all women worldwide get this infection at least once in their lifetime? Unbelievable, right? During my PhD, I will be working with an enthusiastic team of researchers to try to better understand these fungal infections. We will look for new ways to fight these infections, and we will do so using our favorite bacteria: lactobacilli!