News archive 2008

New bacterial species found in mouth

12 Aug 2008, PR 170/08

Scientists at King’s have discovered a new species of bacteria in the mouth which will help scientists better understand problems such as tooth decay and gum disease potentially leading to better treatments.



The research revealed that the bacteria Prevotella histicola could be a contributory factor to gum disease and tooth decay. The Prevotella species are part of the normal microbial flora in humans and are also associated with various oral diseases and infections in other parts of the body.

Tooth decay and gum disease are the most common bacterial diseases and are caused by changes in the microbes normally present in the mouth. To understand these diseases better, scientists first need to know which bacteria are present in human mouths. Understanding the composition of the oral microbiota will also help  devise new prevention measures and treatments for oral diseases.

William Wade, Professor of Oral Microbiology from the Dental Institute at King’s College London, who led the study comments: ‘The healthy human mouth is home to a tremendous variety of microbes including viruses, fungi, protozoa and bacteria.The bacteria are the most numerous: there are 100 million in every millilitre of saliva and more than 600 different species in the mouth.'

Prevotella histicola

Collaborators at Cardiff University Dental School studied healthy tissue as well as tumours in the mouth and found three strains of bacteria called Prevotella that could not be identified. Professor Wade explained: ‘Interestingly, this species was isolated from within the oral tissues, both in oral cancers and normal, healthy tissue. This confirms other work showing that oral bacteria can invade both tissues and individual cells.

‘A detailed description and name for each species of bacteria are needed so that different laboratories can recognise all of the bacterial species present in the mouth.’

Professor Wade’s team, in collaboration with scientists at the Forsyth Institute, Boston, compiled the first comprehensive list of oral bacterial species earlier this year. 

More than 600 species have been found and the list (the Human Oral Microbiome Database) provides descriptions of each species together with tools for analysis of their DNA. 

Most bacteria living in the mouth are thought to be important for maintaining the health of teeth and gums, as well as for general human health.  A smaller number are potentially disease causing.  The database helps scientists studying the role of specific bacteria in human health and disease, and paves the way to constructing similar databases for other body sites such as the skin and the large intestine.



Notes to editors

The paper ‘Prevotella histicola sp. nov., isolated from the human oral cavity’ is published in the August issue of the Society for General Microbiology’s International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

The Human Oral Microbiome Database: www.homd.org

King’s College London
King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,700 students from more than 140 countries, and 5,400 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an annual income of approximately £400 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres - more than any other university.
 
King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are working together to create the UK’s largest Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC). The AHSC will bring together the widest range of clinical and research expertise in the UK – strengths that will be used to drive improvements in care for patients, allowing them to benefit from breakthroughs in medical science and receive leading edge treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. For further information visit: http://www.londonsahsc.org

The Society for General Microbiology provides a common meeting ground for scientists working in research and in fields with applications in microbiology including medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmaceuticals, industry, agriculture, food, the environment and education.

The Society publishes four distinguished journals of international repute: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Journal of General Virology, Microbiology and Journal of Medical Microbiology (all monthly). The online versions can be accessed via www.sgm.ac.uk/pubs.

For press enquiries please contact Lucy Goodchild at SGM on +44 (0) 118 988 1843 or mobile +44 (0) 7824 88 30 10.



Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Officer (Health Schools)
Public Relations Department
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 4334



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