{"id":120640,"date":"2023-06-20T13:47:15","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T11:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/?p=120640"},"modified":"2023-10-04T12:22:19","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T10:22:19","slug":"new-bacteria-appearance-of-caries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/sector-news\/new-bacteria-appearance-of-caries\/","title":{"rendered":"A new bacteria involved in the development of tooth decay has been identified"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_js]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[\/vc_raw_js][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n\n<p>[\/vc_column_text]<div class=\"deeper-spacer clearfix\" data-config='{\"desktop\":50,\"mobile\":30,\"smobile\":30}'><\/div>[vc_column_text]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dental.upenn.edu\/faculty\/hyun-michel-koo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> has joined forces with the Adams School of Dentistry and the Gillings School of Global Public Health, both at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">University of North Carolina<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dental.upenn.edu\/news-events\/2023\/06\/06\/koo-lab-collaborators-identify-a-new-bacterial-species-involved-in-tooth-decay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">investigate the factors that play a role in the development of tooth decay<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Until now, <\/span><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Streptococcus mutans<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> had been the main suspect in causing the plaque responsible for tooth decay<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, but this new study, published on 22 May <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/ncomms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">in Nature Communications<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, reveals for the first time <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the relevance of another bacterial species in this process: <\/span><\/b><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Selenomonas sputigena<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, a bacterium that, until now, had been exclusively associated with gum disease.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\"This unexpected discovery gives us new <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">insights into caries development, highlights potential future targets for caries prevention, and reveals new mechanisms of bacterial biofilm formation that may be relevant in other clinical settings<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\" says study co-author <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dental.upenn.edu\/faculty\/hyun-michel-koo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dr Hyun (Michel) Koo<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Divisions of Paediatrics and Community Oral Health, and Co-Director of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dental.upenn.edu\/research\/center-for-innovation-precision-dentistry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Penn Dental Medicine's Centre for Innovation and Precision Dentistry<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The other two senior co-authors of the study, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sph.unc.edu\/adv_profile\/di-wu-phd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dr Di Wu<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (associate professor at the Adams School and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health) and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dentistry.unc.edu\/people\/kimon-divaris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dr Kimon Divaris<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (professor at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry), <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">point to the importance of collaboration between entities<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, saying that this discovery \"could not have been made without the complementary expertise of many groups, researchers and grantees\".<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Study sample and procedure\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To find the factors involved in plaque formation responsible for the development of caries, considered the most common and widespread chronic disease worldwide, the UNC researchers <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">took plaque samples from the teeth of 300 children aged 3 to 5 years<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, half of them with caries.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With the help of Dr. Koo's lab, they analysed the samples through several tests, including:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sequencing of bacterial gene activity.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Analysis of the biological pathways implicated by the bacterial activity.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Direct microscopic images.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After the analysis, the researchers compared the extracted results with 116 other plaque samples from other children in the same age range.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The results showed that, although <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">S. sputigena<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> is only one of several bacterial species linked to plaque formation and does not cause caries on its own, <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">it has a surprising ability to associate with <\/span><\/b><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">S. mutans<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and promote the development of caries<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How do these bacteria work?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> mutans<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> uses available sugar to build sticky structures (glucans), which form part of the protective environment of plaque. The researchers found that, thanks to its small appendages, <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">S. sputigena<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> can move across surfaces and become trapped by these glucans.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Once trapped, <\/span><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">S. sputigena<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> proliferates rapidly<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, using its own cells to make honeycomb \"superstructures\" that encapsulate and protect <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">S. mutans.<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> The result of this association is <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">increased acid production and higher acid concentration, which significantly aggravates caries.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\"This phenomenon, where a bacteria from one type of environment moves into a new environment and interacts with the bacteria living there, building these remarkable superstructures, should be of great interest to microbiologists,\" says Koo.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dr Koo believes that one of the strategies to combat the power of this bacteria could be to disrupt these protective superstructures through specific enzymes or more precise and effective brushing methods.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For now, the researchers plan to study how this mobile anaerobic bacteria ends up in the aerobic environment of the tooth surface.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]<div class=\"deeper-spacer clearfix\" data-config='{\"desktop\":50,\"mobile\":30,\"smobile\":30}'><\/div>[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><i>You may also like<\/i><\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text]<div class=\"deeper-spacer clearfix\" data-config='{\"desktop\":50,\"mobile\":30,\"smobile\":30}'><\/div>[vc_basic_grid post_type=\"post\" max_items=\"10\" item=\"51432\" grid_id=\"vc_gid:1696413575974-74a4feb4-3df0-5\" taxonomies=\"2151, 2135\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_js]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[\/vc_raw_js][vc_column_text] [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry has joined forces with the Adams School of Dentistry and the Gillings School of Global Public Health, both at the University of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2030],"tags":[2258],"class_list":["post-120640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sector-news","tag-a-new-bacteria-involved-in-the-development-of-tooth-decay-has-been-identified"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ziacom.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}