{"id":24556,"date":"2026-03-12T11:59:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T09:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fbg.ub.edu\/?p=24556"},"modified":"2026-03-12T12:04:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:04:02","slug":"the-university-of-barcelona-participates-in-the-development-of-a-new-therapeutic-strategy-to-restore-the-balance-of-the-vaginal-microbiota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fbg.ub.edu\/en\/news\/the-university-of-barcelona-participates-in-the-development-of-a-new-therapeutic-strategy-to-restore-the-balance-of-the-vaginal-microbiota\/","title":{"rendered":"The University of Barcelona participates in the development of a new therapeutic strategy to restore the balance of the vaginal microbiota"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alterations in the vaginal microbiota \u2014the community of microorganisms that inhabit the vagina\u2014 are associated with conditions such as bacterial vaginosis, obstetric complications, embryo implantation failure and even infertility. A research team from the University of Barcelona<\/a> (UB) is participating in a new public\u2013private consortium aimed at developing a therapeutic strategy capable of restoring the balance of this microbiota.<\/p>\n

The project aims to conduct a clinical trial with a drug featuring an innovative mechanism of action to modulate the vaginal flora and validate its impact on different aspects of women\u2019s health and quality of life. The consortium is led by Oxolife<\/a>, the company that developed the new compound, and also includes researchers from the Research Institute of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, a biomedical research centre affiliated with the Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona (UAB).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mission of the consortium is to improve the current medical arsenal for managing vaginal microbiota by developing a product that acts through a new mechanism specifically targeting altered microbiotas, while causing minimal interference with non-pathogenic microorganisms. This would be the first product with the potential to simultaneously combat the growth of pathogenic bacteria and promote the increase of beneficial bacteria,\u201d explains Dr Eva Pardina, researcher at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine of the Faculty of Biology, who led the UB\u2019s participation in the project.<\/p>\n

A vulnerable ecosystem that requires new solutions<\/h4>\n

The vaginal microbiota is a specific ecosystem, normally dominated by lactobacilli, which tends to experience imbalances or dysbiosis in up to 50% of women, with a wide range of pathological effects. Currently, there are few alternatives to address this imbalance.<\/p>\n

Treatment mainly relies on antibiotics, which can significantly disrupt microbiota health because they affect both harmful and beneficial bacteria; and on prebiotics and probiotics, whose action focuses on increasing specific species of microorganisms \u2014generally Lactobacillus<\/em>\u2014 or substrates that promote their growth in order to restore balance in the microbiota, but without the ability to directly eliminate pathogenic anaerobic microorganisms.<\/p>\n

In this context, the company Oxolife has developed a new molecule with the potential to regulate the microorganisms that make up the vaginal flora. In fact, recent studies have already demonstrated its ability to restore intestinal microbiota and recover health in models of gastrointestinal inflammation associated with dysbiosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough a novel mechanism of action, the molecule is able to specifically modulate the growth of pathogenic elements within the microbiota and restore its normal state,\u201d highlights Ignasi Canals, Scientific Director of Oxolife.<\/p>\n

A multidisciplinary consortium to address a clinical challenge<\/h4>\n

To launch this clinical study, which aims to address some of the challenges related to vaginal dysbiosis, the project brings together the experience and expertise of the consortium partners.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, Oxolife has extensive knowledge of the molecule and its effects, as well as broad experience in the field of women\u2019s health and fertility. The Research Institute of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau will contribute its experience in conducting multiple clinical studies, including some involving this molecule.<\/p>\n

For its part, the UB research group will play a key role in the scientific validation of the project. Its extensive research track record will be essential to identify non-invasive indicators associated with the molecule\u2019s effects on improving vaginal microbiota and female reproductive health, thus adding a crucial translational dimension to the clinical study.<\/p>\n

The project, entitled \u201cStudy and development of a new strategy to modulate the vaginal microbiota\u201d<\/strong>, will run for three years and has the reference CPP2024-011783<\/strong>. The University of Barcelona has obtained \u20ac91,621.60<\/strong> in funding under the 2024 call for public\u2013private collaboration projects, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the State Research Agency and FEDER funds.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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