Oral biofilms: molecular analysis, challenges, and future prospects in dental diagnostics

Abstract

Oral biofilms are functionally and structurally organized polymicrobial communities that are embedded in an extracellular matrix of exopolymers on mucosal and dental surfaces. These biofilms are found naturally in health, and provide benefits to the host. However, this relationship can break down, and disease can occur; disease is associated with a shift in the balance of the species within these biofilms. Simple diagnostic tests have been developed that involve the culture of selected bacteria, eg, those implicated in dental caries, facilitating an assessment of risk of further disease in individual patients. However, oral diseases have a complex etiology, and because only around 50% of oral biofilm can be grown at present, culture-independent molecular-based approaches are being developed that give a more comprehensive assessment of the presence of a range of putative pathogens in samples. The diversity of these biofilms creates challenges in the interpretation of findings, and future work is investigating the ability of novel techniques to detect biological activity and function in oral biofilms, rather than simply providing a catalogue of microbial names.

Antibiofilm Peptides and Peptidomimetics with Focus on Surface Immobilization

“…Adherence to host tissue can lead to a number of diseases, like chronic wound infection, chronic otitis media, chronic osteomyelitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, recurrent urinary tract infection, endocarditis and cystic fibrosis-associated lung infection [ 10 ]. Biofilm-forming bacteria are also associated with chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease as well as dental caries and periodontitis [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Unculturable and culturable periodontal-related bacteria are associated with periodontal inflammation during pregnancy and with preterm low birth weight delivery

“…The oral microbiome plays an essential role both in the development of normal oral physiology and host defense 1 . Dysbiosis of the oral microbiome leads to oral diseases and is also associated with the progression of systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease 2 , diabetes mellitus 3 , and preterm low birth weight (PLBW) 4 .…”

The role of bacterial biofilms in the development of chronic pathological processes in the vagina and endometrium

“…Недавно было показано, что A. vaginae и F. nucleatum, обладающие по срав-нению с G. vaginalis более низкой способностью к адгезии и вытеснению лактобацилл с поверх-ности эпителиальных клеток влагалища, тем не менее способны стимулировать образова-ние последними биопленки [44]. Стимуляция образования биопленки одним организмом в присутствии другого была изучена при об-разовании биопленки в ротовой полости [46]. Недавно этот процесс продемонстрировали также при БВ, используя смешанные культу-ры G. vaginalis, Mobiluncus mulieris, A. vaginae, Prevotella bivia и Fusobacterium nucleatum, вы-деленные из влагалища [44].…”