Drug may upend gum disease, other systemic diseases

An antibiotic may eliminate an oral cavity germ known to trigger the onset of periodontitis, indicating a potential breakthrough in preventing the progression of other serious systemic diseases. The study was published recently in the Journal of Oral Microbiology.

Furthermore, the narrow-spectrum antibiotic FP-100 (hygromycin A) eradicates Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) in a mouse model and in vitro without negatively affecting the oral or gut microbiomes. This study is believed to be the first to explore the effectiveness of FP-100 as a treatment against F. nucleatum, the authors wrote.

"FP-100 is a new antimicrobial to target F. nucleatum-mediated periodontal disease," wrote the authors, led by Dr. Alpdogan Kantarci, PhD, a senior scientist at the ADA Forsyth Institute (J Oral Microbiol, August 12, 2024).

In the U.S. for a five-year period spanning 2009 to 2014, about 4 in 10 adults age 30 or older had some form of periodontitis. Additionally, approximately 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women age 30 or older have minor, moderate, or severe periodontitis, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As the disease progresses, it can destroy jaw tissue and eventually lead to tooth loss. Currently, there is no cure.

To evaluate the efficacy of FP-100, a multispecies bacterial community was cultured and treated with two concentrations of the antibiotic over two days. Microbial profiles were examined at 24-hour intervals using 16SrRNA sequencing. Then the model was tested in vivo.

The antibiotic significantly decreased the germ within the in vitro community (p < 0.05) without altering microbial diversity at a 2 μM concentration, the authors wrote.

In mice, cultivable F. nucleatum was undetectable in FP-100-treated ligatures, though they remained in controls. Furthermore, alveolar bone loss was significantly reduced in the group that received FP-100 (p = 0.018), with concurrent decreases in gingival IL-1β and TNF-α expression (p = 0.052 and 0.018, respectively), they wrote.

Additionally, the antibiotic shows potential beyond the elimination of gum disease. Since F. nucleatum has been associated with other diseases, including colorectal cancer and Alzheimer's disease, the targeted eradication of F. nucleatum may be an appropriate strategy to treat oral diseases while preventing other pathologies linked to its effect on other organs, the authors wrote. No limitations of the research were noted.

"Targeting the elimination of F. nucleatum is crucial not only for oral health but also to prevent its extraoral impacts," Kantarci and colleagues wrote.