Vishakha Mahajan

University of Auckland · Liggins Institute

Purpose This pilot study aimed to develop a methodology characterising the urogenital microbiome as a predictive test in the IVF workup. Methods Using unique custom qPCRs, we tested for the presence of specific microbial species from vaginal samples and First Catch Urines from the male. The test panel included a range of potential urogenital patho...

The aim of this pilot study was to develop a method characterising the urogenital microbiome as a predictive test in the IVF workup. Using unique custom qPCRs we tested for the presence of specific microbial species from vaginal samples and First Catch Urines from the male. The test panel included a range of potential urogenital pathogens, STIs, ‘f...

Steroid hormones govern the complex, cyclic changes of the endometrium, predominantly through their receptors. An interplay between steroid hormones and epigenetic mechanisms controls the dynamic endometrial gene regulation. Abnormalities in expression of genes and enzymes associated with steroid hormone signaling, contribute to a disturbed hormona...

Background: Histone Deacetylases (HDACs) are a class of enzymes that deacetylate the lysine residues on the protruding histone tails, causing tightening of the chromatin structure and making genes inaccessible to be transcribed. Class I and II HDACs have been involved in cell cycle regulation and progression. Class 1 HDACs have been widely studied...

Background Vaginal microbiota (VMB) composition is altered in women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) compared to healthy controls and is associated with disease progression. However, the impact of CIN excision on the VMB and innate immunity is not known. This observational study aims to explore the impact of CIN excision on the VMB, a...

Background: Vaginal microbiota (VMB) are altered in women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) and associate with disease progression. However, the impact of CIN excision on the VMB and innate immunity is not known. This interventional study aims to explore the impact of CIN excision on the VMB, antimicrobial peptides (AMP) and proinflamm...

Histone acetylation is a critical epigenetic modification that changes chromatin architecture and regulates gene expression by opening or closing the chromatin structure. It plays an essential role in cell cycle progression and differentiation. The human endometrium goes through cycles of regeneration, proliferation, differentiation, and degradatio...

Objective To develop a core outcome set for endometriosis. Design Consensus development study. Setting International. Population One hundred and sixteen healthcare professionals, 31 researchers, and 206 patient representatives. Methods Modified Delphi method and modified Nominal Group Technique. Results The final core outcome set includes thre...

DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and Ten-eleven translocation proteins (TETs) facilitate methylation and hydroxymethylation of DNA, respectively. DNMTs are widely studied with conflicting results on their regulation in the endometrium. While, the role of TETs in the endometrium remains relatively unexplored. Deregulated expression of TETs and DNMTs a...

Endometriosis affects 10% of reproductive‐aged women. It is characterized by the growth of the endometrium, outside the uterus and is associated with infertility and chronic abdominal pain. Lack of noninvasive diagnostic tools and early screening tests results in delayed treatment and subsequently increased disease severity. Endometriosis is a dise...

Evidence suggests the vaginal microbiota (VM) may influence risk of persistent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical carcinogenesis. Established cytology biobanks, typically collected with a cytobrush, constitute a unique resource to study such associations longitudinally. It is plausible that compared to rayon swabs; the most commonly...