University of Iowa Health Care researchers have produced the most comprehensive genetic and metabolic analysis to date of the oral
microbiome associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive
autoimmune disease that damages nerves in the brain and spinal cord. They found that people with MS have a distinct (dysbiotic) oral microbiome compared to healthy individuals.
"While the gut microbiome has long been linked to MS, the oral microbiome, our mouth's rich microbial ecosystem, has received far less attention, even though it's the second most diverse microbiome in the human body and has been linked with other neurological diseases, like Alzheimer's disease, and inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis," says Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, UI professor of pathology and senior author of the new study, which recently published in the journal npj Bioflims and Microbiomes.
Your mouth may reveal more about your overall health than you think. Our study shows that people with MS have measurable differences in the bacteria and metabolites found in their saliva. And this isn't just about losing a few good bacteria; it suggests a there is a breakdown of the oral ecosystem in people with MS."
Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, UI professor of pathology
While there are treatments that can slow down MS, which causes muscle weakness, balance issues, and problems with vision and thinking, there is currently no cure for MS.
The knowledge gleaned from the new study could eventually help doctors develop simple saliva-based tests to detect or monitor MS and may open the door to new classes of MS treatments that replace or restore healthy bacteria.
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