It is becoming increasingly clear that the human microbiome—the collection of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live on and within us—significantly contributes to our health. Indeed, several recent studies have demonstrated the contribution of the microbiome to regulating immune cells that influence bone health.
To find out more, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) who study osteoimmunology, the interface of the skeletal and immune systems, have examined the impact of the oral microbiome on alveolar bone. The alveolar bone, commonly known as the jaw bone, is a unique bone tissue that houses and supports our teeth. Their results, published online on Jan. 25 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, showed that healthy microbes in the mouth activated a subset of immune cells within the alveolar bone marrow, which in turn promoted osteoclastic cells that are responsible for breaking down bone. They went on to show that depleting the healthy oral microbiome, using an antiseptic mouthwash, protected against this bone loss in preclinical models, demonstrating a direct link between microbes in the mouth and naturally occuring alveolar bone loss.
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