Do we find the same bacteria in the mouth and in the gut? đź¦
This is the question we answered in our freshly published research article in Gut Microbe.
We found that bacteria, especially Streptococcus salivarius, from the oral cavity travel along the gastrointestinal tract and grow to high numbers in the small intestinal tract. They are also present in the feces, where we observe a decrease in overall bacterial biomass in stunted children!
Why does it matter?
In children with growth delay, we observe ectopic colonziation with oral bacteria in the small intestinal tract. Our previous work, alongside work from the Gordon Lab, clearly shows that these bacteria are negatively associated with normal growth and overall host health.
Understanding if these bacteria are coming from the oral cavity or if they are adapted and thriving within their specific small intestinal niche will allow us to develop future treatment strategies for stunted children, potentially targeting not only the gut but also the oral microbiome!
Congrats to Simon for his second PhD project being published just months before his PHD defense! He spent countless hours behind the screen and in the lab trying to find Streptococcus salivarius in different kinds of samples, some more smelly than others… Congrats as well to the whole team and especially to our collaborators in the Central African Republic!
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19490976.2026.2653550