Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection
IntroductionThe vagina is a finely balanced microecological environment. The rupture of this balance leads to dysbiosis, which causes the resident microbiota to be overcome by pathogens. This event triggers the onset of gynecological infectious diseases, normally treated with antimicrobial drugs, co...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1578831/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850037206707601408 |
|---|---|
| author | Francesco Ricchi Samyr Kenno Natalia Pedretti Giulia Brenna Francesco De Seta Francesco De Seta Andrea Ardizzoni Eva Pericolini |
| author_facet | Francesco Ricchi Samyr Kenno Natalia Pedretti Giulia Brenna Francesco De Seta Francesco De Seta Andrea Ardizzoni Eva Pericolini |
| author_sort | Francesco Ricchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe vagina is a finely balanced microecological environment. The rupture of this balance leads to dysbiosis, which causes the resident microbiota to be overcome by pathogens. This event triggers the onset of gynecological infectious diseases, normally treated with antimicrobial drugs, considered to date as the gold standard; yet the increasing rate of drug resistance requires novel approaches and alternative therapeutic strategies. Bacterial lysates, obtained by mechanical or chemical crushing of the bacterial cell walls, contain several antigens and Pathogen-Associated-Molecular-Patterns (PAMP) molecules that through the priming of epithelial and innate immune cells could improve the responses to the pathogens.Materials and methodsWe evaluated the effect of a bacterial lysate (BL) obtained by Cutibacterium acnes on the response of a human vaginal epithelial cell line and a murine macrophage cell line to the infection by C. albicans, E. coli and G. vaginalis. By priming the cells with BL, the mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species (mtROS) production, the cellular damage, the impairment of microbial growth, the phagocytic and killing capacity and the secretion of cytokines and chemokines were assessed.ResultsBL did not show any direct antimicrobial effect nor any toxicity for the cell lines employed. Upon infection with C. albicans, the BL-primed cells were shown to increase the production of mtROS, to be more resistant to pathogen-mediated cell damage, and to reduce the microbial growth. BL-primed macrophages displayed also an increased phagocytic and killing activity against C. albicans, E. coli and G. vaginalis. Cytokines and chemokines secretion by BL-primed vaginal epithelial cells was also modulated upon infection with C. albicans, E. coli and G. vaginalis.DiscussionOverall, the results shown here point to the possible role of BL in priming epithelial and phagocytic cells and to improve their response against bacterial and fungal pathogens. These data indicate that the use of this (and, in future, other bacterial lysates) may provide a promising novel approach to handle lower genital tract infections through the reinforcement of local immunity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b8c200c0424c42bbbcf0f9d16ecd94e5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2235-2988 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-b8c200c0424c42bbbcf0f9d16ecd94e52025-08-20T02:56:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882025-05-011510.3389/fcimb.2025.15788311578831Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infectionFrancesco Ricchi0Samyr Kenno1Natalia Pedretti2Giulia Brenna3Francesco De Seta4Francesco De Seta5Andrea Ardizzoni6Eva Pericolini7Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, ItalyDepartment of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, ItalyDepartment of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, ItalyDepartment of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, ItalyDepartment of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, ItalyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, University Vita and Salute, Milano, ItalyDepartment of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, ItalyDepartment of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, ItalyIntroductionThe vagina is a finely balanced microecological environment. The rupture of this balance leads to dysbiosis, which causes the resident microbiota to be overcome by pathogens. This event triggers the onset of gynecological infectious diseases, normally treated with antimicrobial drugs, considered to date as the gold standard; yet the increasing rate of drug resistance requires novel approaches and alternative therapeutic strategies. Bacterial lysates, obtained by mechanical or chemical crushing of the bacterial cell walls, contain several antigens and Pathogen-Associated-Molecular-Patterns (PAMP) molecules that through the priming of epithelial and innate immune cells could improve the responses to the pathogens.Materials and methodsWe evaluated the effect of a bacterial lysate (BL) obtained by Cutibacterium acnes on the response of a human vaginal epithelial cell line and a murine macrophage cell line to the infection by C. albicans, E. coli and G. vaginalis. By priming the cells with BL, the mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species (mtROS) production, the cellular damage, the impairment of microbial growth, the phagocytic and killing capacity and the secretion of cytokines and chemokines were assessed.ResultsBL did not show any direct antimicrobial effect nor any toxicity for the cell lines employed. Upon infection with C. albicans, the BL-primed cells were shown to increase the production of mtROS, to be more resistant to pathogen-mediated cell damage, and to reduce the microbial growth. BL-primed macrophages displayed also an increased phagocytic and killing activity against C. albicans, E. coli and G. vaginalis. Cytokines and chemokines secretion by BL-primed vaginal epithelial cells was also modulated upon infection with C. albicans, E. coli and G. vaginalis.DiscussionOverall, the results shown here point to the possible role of BL in priming epithelial and phagocytic cells and to improve their response against bacterial and fungal pathogens. These data indicate that the use of this (and, in future, other bacterial lysates) may provide a promising novel approach to handle lower genital tract infections through the reinforcement of local immunity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1578831/fullvulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC)bacterial vaginosis (BV)aerobic vaginitis (AV)bacterial lysatescutibacterium acnesCandida albicans |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Ricchi Samyr Kenno Natalia Pedretti Giulia Brenna Francesco De Seta Francesco De Seta Andrea Ardizzoni Eva Pericolini Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) bacterial vaginosis (BV) aerobic vaginitis (AV) bacterial lysates cutibacterium acnes Candida albicans |
| title | Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection |
| title_full | Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection |
| title_fullStr | Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection |
| title_short | Cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection |
| title_sort | cutibacterium acnes lysate improves cellular response against candida albicans escherichia coli and gardnerella vaginalis in an in vitro model of vaginal infection |
| topic | vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) bacterial vaginosis (BV) aerobic vaginitis (AV) bacterial lysates cutibacterium acnes Candida albicans |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1578831/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT francescoricchi cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection AT samyrkenno cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection AT nataliapedretti cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection AT giuliabrenna cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection AT francescodeseta cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection AT francescodeseta cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection AT andreaardizzoni cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection AT evapericolini cutibacteriumacneslysateimprovescellularresponseagainstcandidaalbicansescherichiacoliandgardnerellavaginalisinaninvitromodelofvaginalinfection |