This research is an Institute of Dentistry collaboration with the Oral & Maxillofacial Unit of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine and the Department of Medical Biotechnologies of the University of Siena.
Publication; Oral bacterial diversity is inversely correlated with mucosal inflammation
Hijazi, K., Morrison, R. W., Mukhopadhya, I., Martin, B., Gemmell, M., Shaw, S. & Santoro, F., 3 Jun 2020, In : Oral Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.13420
We studied the bacterial diversity and immune marker profiles in cohorts of patients suffering from two debilitating diseases of the lining of the mouth, namely recurrent aphthous stomatitis and oral lichen planus. Both diseases are known to have a very negative impact on patient quality of life, while oral lichen planus is also associated with an increased risk of oral cancer. Despite their clinical importance, they remain relatively understudied in that their cause as well as the mechanisms that drive the disease remain poorly understood. As such treatment is untargeted and often ineffective.
In our study we show that levels of clinical disease and oral inflammation in patients are dependent on the diversity of the bacterial community colonising the lining of the mouth. In addition to supporting the role of bacterial diversity as a marker of disease activity, our findings draw researchers’ attention to the important role of oral bacteria in these two immune conditions, and provide proof-concept-data to develop new treatments targeting the makeup of the bacterial community colonising the lining of the mouth.
This research is an Institute of Dentistry collaboration with the Oral & Maxillofacial Unit of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine and the Department of Medical Biotechnologies of the University of Siena.