Development of oral health evaluation method using resilience of oral microbiota as an index

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K10285
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57080:Social dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Nambu Takayuki 大阪歯科大学, 歯学部, 講師 (80367903)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高橋 一也 大阪歯科大学, 歯学部, 教授 (10236268) ; 真下 千穂 大阪歯科大学, 歯学部, 講師 (80368159) ; 草野 薫 大阪歯科大学, 歯学部, 教授 (80382498)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔細菌 / 細菌叢解析 / レジリエンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

With the widespread use of microbiota analysis targeting the oral cavity, it has become evident that changes in the balance of microbiota are associated with the deterioration of both oral and overall health. It is believed that the ease with which these changes occur depends on an individual's microbiota resilience, but a method for its evaluation has yet to be established. This study attempted to evaluate the resilience of oral microbiota by combining a microbiota culture model that maintains the composition of oral microbiota, which we have developed, with next-generation sequencing technology. As a result, it was revealed that the oral microbiota shows resilience within a pH range of 6 to 7, but outside of this range, it exhibits microbiota changes (dysbiosis).

Free Research Field

口腔細菌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の特色は，本来in vivo（口腔内）で観察することが困難な細菌叢のレジリエンスを，我々が構築した口腔細菌叢培養モデルを用いることで，再現良く高精度に解析が可能な点である．また，本実験系では特定の細菌だけを追跡するのではなく，細菌共生の複雑系を残したままでの構成的な実験が可能となる新たな研究手法であるといえる．本研究により，変化しやすい口腔細菌叢（例えば，う蝕や歯周病タイプに変化しやすい細菌叢）の特徴が明らかとなり，最終的には，口腔における予防・治療の両面での個別化医療の開発に寄与できると考えている．