{
  "abstract": "Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most prevalent vaginal infection among reproductive-age women and is associated with increased susceptibility to gynecological complications. Current antibiotic treatments achieve high initial cure rates but show high rates of recurrence, partly due to their inability to remove persistent biofilms. pHyph is a novel, non-antibiotic treatment that lowers vaginal pH, promoting Lactobacillus growth and biofilm disruption.\n\nObjective: To evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of pHyph on the vaginal microbiome, BV resolution, and symptom reduction.\n\nStudy design: In a randomized, controlled, partially blinded study, 61 women with clinically diagnosed BV were randomized to immediate (IT, n = 35) or delayed (DT, n = 26) treatment. Vaginal swabs were collected before treatment, after 6 days, and during maintenance to Day 70. Microbiome composition was analyzed using a qPCR panel targeting 47 bacterial and 6 fungal species.\n\nResults: Compared to controls, pHyph reduced the abundance of multiple BV-associated species and increased Lactobacillus iners following 6-day treatment (median 8.96 ×103 [Q1–Q3: 3.10 ×103–2.72 ×104] vs. median 9.44 × 10² [Q1–Q3: 0.00–4.29 × 10 ³] normalized qPCR counts, p < 0.05). Additionally, pHyph reduced BV-related symptoms, particularly fishy odor (p < 0.05). Treatment promoted a shift to CST III microbiome composition, and maintenance dosing was associated with sustained Lactobacillus abundance up to Day 70.\n\nConclusions: pHyph shows potential as an alternative BV treatment by reducing BV-associated pathogens while promoting lactobacilli. Extended dosing may enhance microbiome stability.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden",
    "Gedea Biotech AB, Medicon Village, Lund, Sweden",
    "Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden",
    "Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Sweden"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Emilia Lahtinen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Luisa W. Hugerth"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gabriella Edfeldt"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Annette Säfholm"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sten Kornfält"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Helena Strevens"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ina Schuppe-Koistinen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3pgnhz632netd.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.eurox.2026.100497",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13696822/",
  "id": "3pgnhz632netd",
  "issns": [
    "2590-1613"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurox.2026.100497",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Gynaecology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2404|Reproductive tract infections research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221047462",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13696822?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13696822",
  "pmid": "42936186",
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3pgnhz632netd.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:06Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13696822",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurox.2026.100497"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:24Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42936186",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42936186"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2404|Reproductive tract infections research",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Effect of pHyph, A novel antibiotic-free treatment, on bacterial vaginosis symptoms and vaginal microbiome composition",
  "title_text": "Effect of pHyph, A novel antibiotic-free treatment, on bacterial vaginosis symptoms and vaginal microbiome composition",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:34:05Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3pgnhz632netd",
  "venue": "European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology: X",
  "versions": []
}