The focus of my reseaarch is the single-celled organism pictured above called Trichomonas vaginalis. This parasitic protozoan is the cause of trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) worldwide. Typically, the disease is easily cured with one round of the antibiotic metronidazole; however, trich is associated with numerous long term health concerns in women (cervical cancer, high HIV risk, pre-term birth in pregnant women, and pelvic inflammatory disease). The increased risks for these conditions are likely the result of inflammation and pH changes in the vagina caused by the parasite.
More specifically, my lab at Millsaps College is curious about four different viruses known as Trichomonas vaginalis virus (TVV) 1, 2, 3, and 4, which can infect the protozoan. That's right, the organism that causes the STD trichomoniasis has its own disease! Any strain of T. vaginalis can host up to four of the viruses in any combination. So far, we have typed over 40 isolates to see which viruses (if any) they contain.
The purpose of this study is to match specific viruses with one of the many symptoms listed above. For instance, maybe cells infected by TVV2 cause more vaginal inflammation than those which don't, or maybe cells with TVV1 result in higher incidence of HIV contraction. There is already evidence that virus-positive cells are different than virus-negative cells; a study found that infected cells have been shown to be less resistant to the antibiotic metronidazole, and another study found that cells with virus have supressed protein expression.
We are currently collaborating with researchers at the Univeristy of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to match symptoms in local patients to specific viruses, as discovered in our lab. Our work will be submitted for publishing in approximately two months.
I hope that my explanation was understandable, and if not, I'm always happy to sit down and discuss my research with interested listeners!
-A. Judge
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