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Microbiome in Reproductive Health, Dysfunction, and Cancer

Edited by: 

Professor Julang Li, PhD, University of Guelph, Canada
Dr Svetlana Madjunkova, MD, PhD, CReATe Fertility Centre, Canada
Professor Ofer Reizes, MD, PhD, Cleveland Clinic, United States of America

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 1 July 2025 
 



Journal of Ovarian Research is calling for submissions to our Collection on Microbiome in Reproductive Health, Dysfunction, and Cancer. Ovarian disorders such as PCOS and ovarian cancer are common endocrine diseases with complex etiology and pathogenesis. In recent years, the microbiome, particularly within the gut, emerged as an endocrine organ capable of impacting human health and disease. It is now widely appreciated that human and animal intestines are host to an abundance of microorganisms, and the gut microbiota is considered an orchestrator of microbiota within multiple tissues, including the reproductive tract. Notably, recent findings suggest that the microbial composition of the gut is associated with susceptibility to diseases such as cancer and others that are associated with endocrine disorders. The female genital tract (FGT) from the vagina to the ovary and the FGT microbiome offers a unique niche for modulating reproductive function and disease. We are now able to appreciate that pre- and pro-biotics provide an opportunity for microbiome manipulation that may be used to offer novel treatment strategies to improve reproductive health as well improve ovarian cancer outcomes. This special topic (issue) aims to provide an updated view of the link between microbiome, reproductive health, and ovarian disorders. We welcome reviews, primary research articles, and technical notes that are related to the following topics on the microbiome in:

1. Ovarian function/dysfunction

2. Ovarian- related gynecologic cancer

3. Female genital tract

4. Diagnosis of female reproductive disorder

5. Reproductive outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)

6. Therapeutic strategy

7. Characterizations of the ovarian dysfunction using animal models

Image credit: Svetlana Madjunkova (Created with BioRender.com).

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good health and well-being.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Professor Julang Li, PhD, University of Guelph, Canada

Dr. Julang Li is a professor at the Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph. She was originally trained and employed as a Veterinarian at Foshan Veterinary College prior to her further postgraduate training in Canada. Dr. Li obtained her Ph.D. in Reproduction at the University of Ottawa. She became a faculty member at the University of Guelph in 2000.  One of the research areas of Dr. Li’s team is investigating the mechanisms and regulation of ovarian follicle development and oocyte maturation.

Svetlana Madjunkova, MD, PHD, CReATe Fertility Centre, Canada

Dr. Svetlana Madjunkova is Senior Director and Head of Reproductive Genetics Department at CReATe Fertility Centre Toronto, Canada and adjunct faculty with Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temetry Faculty of Medicine, at University of Toronto. She holds an MD degree with honors and MSc and PhD in reproductive genetics. She also has completed fellowships and postgraduate trainings in advanced prenatal diagnosis at Catholic University, Leuven, and reproductive toxicology and genetics at SickKids and Mount Sinai and Hospitals in Toronto.

Her laboratory is uniquely positioned to provide advanced clinical preimplantation testing; fertility related genetic testing and translate research and new genomic technologies into clinical tests. Her research team works on projects aimed at improving embryo selection, preimplantation testing and promote research in reproductive failure and improving outcomes in ARTs. Her interest is in the development of novel technologies for non-invasive and comprehensive multi-omic assessment of infertile patients, developing embryo, fetus and offspring.

Her research is published in multiple high impact journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Human Reproduction Update, Fertility and Sterility, Genome research etc, at over 100 scientific communications and she is a frequent speaker at National and International meetings. Dr Madjunkova is a recipient of many awards and fellowships and recognized for her educative work.

Dr. Madjunkova is a member of the Board of Directors of Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society and the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society.

Professor Ofer Reizes, MD, PhD, Cleveland Clinic, United States of America

Ofer Reizes, PhD is professor and staff in the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute (LRI) and the inaugural holder of The Laura J. Fogarty Endowed Chair for Uterine Cancer Research. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Maryland – Baltimore County and a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – Dallas. He subsequently pursued a post-doctoral fellowship in developmental biology and metabolic disease from The Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical Center. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Reizes did a brief stint in Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals within the drug discovery division.

At the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Reizes’ laboratory is interested in unmasking chemoresistance mechanisms in breast and gynecologic cancers with a focus on improving patient outcomes. The findings include discovery of the impact of the gut microbiome in suppressing ovarian cancer as well as discovery of the protein CD55 in the nucleus. Dr. Reizes applies his previous drug discovery and development expertise to identification and approaches for cancer therapeutics. His research is published in multiple high impact journals including Cell, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Nature Communications, Cancer Research and Molecular Cancer.

  1. Polycystic ovary syndrome is a prevalent gynecological condition affecting primarily women of childbearing age. It is characterized by elevated androgen levels, ovulatory dysfunction, and morphological abnorma...

    Authors: Xiaopei Li, Yan Li, Bumei Zhang, Jianmei Wang, Yang Yang and Yongrui Du
    Citation: Journal of Ovarian Research 2025 18:69
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder associated with reproductive and metabolic dysfunctions, including gut microbiome dysbiosis. This study aimed to examine the alterations in stemn...

    Authors: Fereshteh Esfandiarinezhad, Xiaoshu Zhan, Seang Lin Tan, Julang Li and Benjamin K. Tsang
    Citation: Journal of Ovarian Research 2025 18:66
    Content type: Brief Report Published on:

  3. While increasing evidence suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota and metabolites are associated with ovarian cancer (OC) risk, whether these associations imply causation remains to be identified.

    Authors: Junfeng Guo, Chen Wang, He Li and Chenhuan Ding
    Citation: Journal of Ovarian Research 2025 18:27
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age. It is characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and the presence of polycystic ovarian morpho...

    Authors: Xiufen Zheng, Zikai Chen, Miao Liang, Liting Zhou, Miaoru Wang, Silin Zhang, Shuyun Zhang, Lei Ma, Wei Yi and Xiawen Liu
    Citation: Journal of Ovarian Research 2025 18:13
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is among the most prevalent endocrine and metabolic disorders affecting women of reproductive age. Multiple factors, including genetic predisposition, environmental influences,...

    Authors: Li Qin, Chun Tian, Liying Huang, Xiao Qin, Shaohua Ling, Jingxi Wei, Bingsheng Huang, Lining Li and Xiaoqiong Luo
    Citation: Journal of Ovarian Research 2024 17:248
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Disturbances in the gut microbiota may act as mechanisms influencing the interplay between dietary factors and metabolic disorders. Studies have demonstrated that these alterations are associated with the diag...

    Authors: Thaís Rasia da Silva, Lucas Bandeira Marchesan, Pabulo Henrique Rampelotto, Larisse Longo, Tiago Franco de Oliveira, Rikard Landberg, Vanessa de Mello and Poli Mara Spritzer
    Citation: Journal of Ovarian Research 2024 17:232
    Content type: Research Published on:

  7. The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged as a global health crisis, with clinical manifestations including those suggesting injury to various organs such as the ovaries, which implies that ...

    Authors: Tianjin Yang, Guanjian Li, Huayan Yin, Longmei Wu, Yunxia Cao and Bing Song
    Citation: Journal of Ovarian Research 2024 17:231
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of reviews, primary research articles, and technical notes. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. 

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. Please, select the appropriate Collection title “Microbiome in Reproductive Health, Dysfunction, and Cancer" under the “Details” tab during the submission stage.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.