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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization
Published on: November 16, 2016
Antimicrobial Photodynamic Inactivation: An Alternative for Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization in a Murine
Michał K Pierański1, Jan G Kosiński2, Klaudia Szymczak1
1Laboratory of Photobiology and Molecular Diagnostics, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland.
Background:
Streptococcus agalactiae, referred to as Group B Streptococcus (GBS), is a prominent bacterium causing life-threatening neonatal infections. Although antibiotics are efficient against GBS, growing antibiotic resistance forces the search for alternative treatments and/or prevention approaches. Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) appears to be a potent alternative non-antibiotic strategy against GBS.
Methods:
The effect of rose bengal aPDI on various GBS serotypes, Lactobacillus species, human eukaryotic cell lines and microbial vaginal flora composition was evaluated.
Results:
RB-mediated aPDI was evidenced to exert high bactericidal efficacy towards S. agalactiae in vitro (>4 log10 units of viability reduction for planktonic and >2 log10 units for multispecies biofilm culture) and in vivo (ca. 2 log10 units of viability reduction in mice vaginal GBS colonization model) in microbiological and metagenomic analyses. At the same time, RB-mediated aPDI was evidenced to be not mutagenic and safe for human vaginal cells, as well as capable of maintaining the balance and viability of vaginal microbial flora.
Conclusions:
aPDI can efficiently kill GBS and serve as an alternative approach against GBS vaginal colonization and/or infections.
