{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T10:19:40Z","timestamp":1789467580371,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789430400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Important gaps remain in our understanding of the vaginal virome. Its composition, interactions with the bacterial microbiome and host immune system, and implications for vaginal homeostasis, human papillomavirus (HPV) persistence, and obstetric outcomes remain incompletely defined. The vaginal virome is a dynamic component of the female genital ecosystem. It includes viruses that infect human cells, bacteriophages, and endogenous viral elements. Observational studies have associated altered viral composition or diversity with vaginal dysbiosis, persistent HPV detection, and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth. These relationships remain correlative, and causality has not been established. Bacteriophage-based therapies and recombinant endolysins may selectively target bacterial biofilms associated with bacterial vaginosis. However, most applications remain preclinical or in early clinical development. Better characterization of the interactions among viruses, bacteria, epithelial cells, and mucosal immunity may support future diagnostic biomarkers and precision therapeutic strategies in women\u2019s health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms14092055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T08:16:48Z","timestamp":1789460208000},"page":"2055","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Human Vaginal Virome: Composition, Microbiome Interactions, and Implications for Bacterial Vaginosis, HPV Persistence, and Preterm Birth"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4617-7269","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Eleut\u00e9rio Junior","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Women\u2019s, Children\u2019s and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Cear\u00e1, Fortaleza 60430-140, Brazil"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, Federal University of Cear\u00e1,  Fortaleza 60430-160, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paulo C\u00e9sar","family":"Giraldo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renata M\u00edrian Nunes","family":"Eleut\u00e9rio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Prof. Eleut\u00e9rio Laboratory,  Fortaleza 60110-371, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0283-4039","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristiana Rodrigues","family":"Te\u00f3filo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Federal University of Cear\u00e1,  Fortaleza 60430-160, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Human Microbiome Project Consortium (2012). 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