Factors released by Trichomonas vaginalis impact replication of Herpes Simplex Virus
Description
More than 50 million Americans are infected with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) or Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis). These sexually transmitted infections have a significant impact on human health, including impacts on fertility and fetal-maternal health. Over the last couple of decades, a strong correlation between these two infections has been reported, with data suggesting that infection with one pathogen can impact the outcome of infection with the other. Despite these observations, no published reports directly address the impact of co-infection with these pathogens at the cellular or molecular level. In addition, T. vaginalis has been demonstrated to secrete soluble factors, including extracellular vesicles, which can impact host cell behavior and the immune system. Previous studies in our lab suggested that factors released by one clinical isolate of T. vaginalis impacted the viral life cycle of HSV. This summer we examined factors released by additional clinical isolates of T. vaginalis to determine if the antiviral activity extended to multiple strains. To achieve this, cells were infected with HSV in the presence or absence of culture supernatants collected from clinical isolates of T. vaginalis. Virus production was quantified using plaque assays. Preliminary results indicate that factors released by multiple clinical isolate exhibit antiviral properties, suggesting that coinfection with T. vaginalis can impact HSV infection. Results of these studies will lay the groundwork for the identification of novel targets for HSV antiviral therapies, and perhaps explain the epidemiological associations between T. vaginalis and HSV infection.
Citation Information
Maamari, Christopher; Rhoads, Caleb; Pradhan, Prajakta; Nguyen, Marie; and Brittingham, Andrew, "Factors released by Trichomonas vaginalis impact replication of Herpes Simplex Virus" (2026). Office of Research DMU Research Symposium. 81.
https://digitalcommons.dmu.edu/researchsymposium/2025rs/2025abstracts/81
Factors released by Trichomonas vaginalis impact replication of Herpes Simplex Virus
More than 50 million Americans are infected with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) or Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis). These sexually transmitted infections have a significant impact on human health, including impacts on fertility and fetal-maternal health. Over the last couple of decades, a strong correlation between these two infections has been reported, with data suggesting that infection with one pathogen can impact the outcome of infection with the other. Despite these observations, no published reports directly address the impact of co-infection with these pathogens at the cellular or molecular level. In addition, T. vaginalis has been demonstrated to secrete soluble factors, including extracellular vesicles, which can impact host cell behavior and the immune system. Previous studies in our lab suggested that factors released by one clinical isolate of T. vaginalis impacted the viral life cycle of HSV. This summer we examined factors released by additional clinical isolates of T. vaginalis to determine if the antiviral activity extended to multiple strains. To achieve this, cells were infected with HSV in the presence or absence of culture supernatants collected from clinical isolates of T. vaginalis. Virus production was quantified using plaque assays. Preliminary results indicate that factors released by multiple clinical isolate exhibit antiviral properties, suggesting that coinfection with T. vaginalis can impact HSV infection. Results of these studies will lay the groundwork for the identification of novel targets for HSV antiviral therapies, and perhaps explain the epidemiological associations between T. vaginalis and HSV infection.
