Emilia Lahtinen is n industrial Ph.D. student at Gedea and at Karolinska Institutet. Her project has the title Bacterial vaginosis: Understanding the impact of antibiotic and antibiotic-free treatments on the vaginal microbiome and risk of recurrence. Please meet her in this short interview.
You have been an industrial Ph.D. student since 2022, a position shared between Gedea and Karolinska Institutet. Was this your dream project?
Yes, absolutely! I knew I wanted to work with bioinformatics, microbiome research, and be close to, or within the industry. As an industrial doctoral student, you can conduct research that is not only likely to be applied but also contributes to the general body of knowledge.
What is your affiliation at Karolinska Institutet?
I am located at the Centre for Translational Microbiome Research (CTMR). I am fortunate to have an excellent supervisory team guiding my research. My main supervisor, Ina Schuppe Koistinen, PhD, is based at CTMR, where two of my co-supervisors are also affiliated. Additionally, I am supervised by Helena Strevens, MD, PhD, from Gedea Biotech.
What difference can your research make to women or in the field of women’s health?
The research field is relatively new, as historically women’s health has been underrepresented in medical research, and there is much to learn. Expanding our knowledge about the vaginal microbiome will help us to understand the underlying causes of conditions like bacterial vaginosis and guide the development of more effective, targeted treatments.
What do we know about the vaginal microbiome to date? Is there a common understanding of what constitutes a healthy microbiome and what does not?
A clear causal link between specific microbiome composition and the symptoms experienced by women has not yet been established. Historically, infections have been attributed to specific pathogenic microbes, with the assumption that eliminating them resolves the problem. But it’s not that simple. The microbiome’s function is influenced by the dynamic interactions within and between microbial communities. The vaginal microbiome also varies significantly across different stages of life. Factors, such as pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and hormonal changes can all affect the microbiome. Ethnicity also plays a role in microbiome diversity, though it is unclear whether this is due to differences in lifestyle, genetics, or immune system responses. One established observation, however, is that a microbiome dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus is associated with good health while a microbiome with a high microbial diversity is associated with various gynecological conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
The research field is relatively new. Why is it that this knowledge, which is important for women’s health, has not been explored earlier? Is it due to a lack of interest, resources, or access to the right technology?
Probably all three of them. We use shotgun sequencing to process large datasets, and advancements in sequencing technology have undoubtedly propelled microbiome research forward. Before this, methods like 16S rRNA sequencing were used to identify many microorganisms that couldn’t be cultivated in the lab, but they had limitations in resolution and scope. The development of sequencing technology has been essential for identifying and characterizing microorganisms on a large scale. Many areas of women’s health research have struggled with the lack of resources and interest, which is why the research frontier is now advancing rapidly. It’s fantastic to be part of groundbreaking research!
What is your next milestone?
Next year, my goal is to publish results related to Gedea’s CL3-study (NFERTITI) study, where I studied the changes in the vaginal microbiome of patients who were treated with pHyph. That’s exciting!
At CTMR, we also have a mission to engage with the public and share our knowledge. We have an Instagram account called @fembiome where we post “fact-based science about the vulva, vagina and their microbes”. Follow us to dive deeper into the world of microbes and their impact on women’s health!