Research progress on the relationship between Fusobacterium nucleatum and periodontitis

Abstract

Periodontitis is an infectious disease caused by a variety of microorganisms. Fusobacterium nucleatum is closely related to periodontitis with a high detection rate. Fusobacterium nucleatum is able to coaggregate with other microorganisms and attach and invade epithelial cells with the help of adhesins. It can also promote the occurrence and development of periodontal diseases and even systemic diseases by destroying periodontal tissues with virulence factors and metabolites and inducing a host immune response. However, at present, drugs assisting periodontal nonsurgical treatment clinically cannot target specific periodontal pathogens, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, which may lead to problems such as dysbacteriosis or drug resistance. Therefore, studies on the pathogenic mechanism of Fusobacterium nucleatum provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis. The idea is to develop materials, drugs, or probiotics that target adhesins, virulence factors, and metabolites or cut off each pathogenic pathway of Fusobacterium nucleatum to inhibit its proliferation and inflammatory responses in deep periodontal pockets and achieve a balance with other oral microorganisms, and the host is beneficial for the control of periodontitis.

Keywords

• fusobacterium nucleatum
• periodontitis
• subgingival plaque
• animal model
• pathogenesis
• adhesin
• endotoxin
• protease
• host immune response
• systemic disease