How Trichomonas vaginalis harms protective vaginal bacteria and triggers inflammation
RP-Riestra/Sussman: Investigating the Antibacterial and Immune Modulating Effects of Trichomonas Vaginalis Infection and Pyroptosis
This work looks at whether the sexually transmitted parasite Trichomonas vaginalis kills helpful lactobacilli and causes inflammatory cell death in people with vaginal infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Diego State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11313847 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists will watch live interactions between the parasite and protective vaginal bacteria and measure bacterial death with staining methods. They will block parasite processes and make parasites missing a key protein to test whether the parasite engulfs or digests lactobacilli. The team will also test a fragment of the human protein gasdermin D to see if it can kill lactobacilli and use cells without gasdermin D to see how inflammatory cell death affects bacteria. Together these lab experiments aim to explain how infection can lead to bacterial imbalance and inflammation in the female reproductive tract.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with current or recurrent trichomoniasis or bacterial vaginosis, or those willing to provide cervicovaginal samples, would be the most relevant participants for related efforts.
Not a fit: People without vaginal infections or those unable to provide samples are unlikely to gain direct benefits from this primarily laboratory-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal mechanisms that lead to bacterial vaginosis during trichomoniasis and point to new prevention or treatment strategies to protect vaginal health.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown T. vaginalis can disrupt lactobacilli and cause inflammation, but using pyroptosis and gasdermin D as an antibacterial mechanism is a newer approach with mainly preclinical evidence.
Where this research is happening
San Diego, United States
- San Diego State University — San Diego, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Riestra, Angelica M — San Diego State University
- Study coordinator: Riestra, Angelica M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.