Issues

Growing evidence suggests that the human microbiome is implicated in cancer development. In the female reproductive tract, the vagina and cervix are typically colonized by protective Lactobacillus species or dysbiotic anaerobes. These bacterial communities can impact HPV infection, HPV persistence and progression to cervical cancer and relate to health disparities among different racial/ethnic groups, including Hispanic and Indigenous populations. Yet, our knowledge on the vaginal microbiome and HPV infection patterns in Native American communities is very limited. In the study starting on page 525, Łaniewski and colleagues investigated interactions between vaginal microbiome, HPV, immune markers, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors to understand the increased risk of cervical cancer in Native American women. The study identified sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with vaginal dysbiosis, HPV infection, and immune activation. These findings suggest that these factors might contribute to cervical cancer health disparities via alterations of vaginal microbiome. The cover image is adapted from Fig. 1B. Figure 1B displays the relative abundance of bacteria in the vaginal microbiome profiles and reveals a high proportion of participants with non-optimal microbiomes characterized by depletion of Lactobacillus and presence of diverse mixture of anaerobes, including Gardnerella, Fannyhessea, Prevotella, and Sneathia.