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Semin Reprod Med 2023; 41(05): 190-199
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1778056
Review Article

The Upper Reproductive System Microbiome: Evidence beyond the Uterus

Analuce Canha-Gouveia   *
1   Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
2   Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University Clinical Hospital “Virgen de la Arrixaca,” Murcia, Spain
3   Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Spain
4   Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain
,
Valentina Di Nisio   *
5   Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
6   Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
,
Andres Salumets
5   Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
6   Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
7   Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
8   Competence Centre on Health Technologies, Tartu, Estonia
,
Pauliina Damdimopoulou
5   Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
6   Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
,
Pilar Coy
1   Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
2   Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University Clinical Hospital “Virgen de la Arrixaca,” Murcia, Spain
,
Signe Altmäe
3   Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Spain
4   Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain
5   Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
6   Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
,
Alberto Sola-Leyva
4   Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain
5   Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
6   Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
8   Competence Centre on Health Technologies, Tartu, Estonia
› Author Affiliations Funding This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ERFD's “A way of making Europe projects”, specifically Endo-Map PID2021-12728OB-100 and ROSY CNS2022-135999. A.C.G.'s funding was provided by the “Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia”, specifically under the “Ayudas para la recualificación del sistema universitario español” and “Ayudas Margarita Salas para la formación de jóvenes doctores” at Universidad de Murcia. A.S.L. received funding from the Becas Fundación Ramón Areces para Estudios Postdoctorales, within the XXXV Convocatoria para Ampliación de Estudios en el Extranjero en Ciencias de la Vida y de la Materia. Additionally, this work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program “ERIN” (grant ID EU952516).
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Abstract

The microbiome of the female upper reproductive system has garnered increasing recognition and has become an area of interest in the study of women's health. This intricate ecosystem encompasses a diverse consortium of microorganisms (i.e., microbiota) and their genomes (i.e., microbiome) residing in the female upper reproductive system, including the uterus, the fallopian tubes, and ovaries. In recent years, remarkable advancements have been witnessed in sequencing technologies and microbiome research, indicating the potential importance of the microbial composition within these anatomical sites and its impact in women's reproductive health and overall well-being. Understanding the composition, dynamics, and functions of the microbiome of the female upper reproductive system opens up exciting avenues for improving fertility, treating gynecological conditions, and advancing our comprehension of the intricate interplay between the microbiome and the female reproductive system. The aim of this study is to compile currently available information on the microbial composition of the female upper reproductive system in humans, with a focus beyond the uterus, which has received more attention in recent microbiome studies compared with the fallopian tubes and ovaries. In conclusion, this review underscores the potential role of this microbiome in women's physiology, both in health and disease.

Keywords

microbiome - female upper reproductive system - health - disease

* These authors contributed equally.




Publication History

Article published online:
06 February 2024

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