For a human, herpes is usually no more than a painful inconvenience, but for a mouse, catching the sexually transmitted infection is akin to a kiss of death. Injecting mice with human pathogens such as herpes simplex virus (HSV), as is often done in lab studies, can kill them in a matter of days. But not all mice are equally vulnerable. In a study published November 8 in Cell Reports, researchers found that thanks to differences in their vaginal microbiomes compared with lean mice, obese mice fed a high-fat diet had stronger immune responses against HSV-2, which causes genital herpes in humans. The finding offers insight into the mechanisms behind vaginal immune responses and the role of the microbiome in combating disease.
Biomedical scientists have linked obesity in humans to higher risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as greater cancer risk and in some cases impaired immune systems. Although obesity ...
