Our mouths are colonised by hundreds of different types of microorganisms known as the oral microbiome. These microbes not only influence the diseases that occur in our mouths, such as periodontal/gum disease and tooth decay, but several studies have now linked these oral bacteria to several systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. In recent years, several scientific and professional bodies have been raising awareness on the link between oral and cardiovascular disease, including the European Federation of Periodontology and the World Heart Federation. However, the mechanisms that drive this association are poorly understood and are heavily debated in the scientific community.
Within the research groups of Prof. Craig Murdoch and Prof. Graham Stafford at the School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Cher Farrugia studied how oral pathogenic bacteria may cause cardiovascular disease once these organisms have entered the bloodstream. Cher used endothelial cells (the cells that line blood vessels) grown in the laboratory and an innovative zebrafish embryo in vivo infection model to show that some oral bacteria can bind to and be internalised by endothelial cells, leading to endothelial damage and increased blood vessel permeability. The results of her research indicate a possible mechanism by which oral microbes may initiate or potentiate blood vessel damage leading to cardiovascular disease.
This ground-breaking work has led to Cher winning the British Society of Oral and Dental Research Senior Colgate Award and the British Society of Periodontology Sir Wilfred Fish Award, and to date two articles have been published in international peer reviewed journals: Farrugia C, Stafford G.P, Murdoch C. (2020) P. gingivalis outer membrane vesicles increase vascular permeability. J Dent Res. 99:1494-1501. doi: 10.1177/0022034520943187; and Farrugia C, Stafford G.P, Potempa J., Wilkinson R.N, Chen Y., Murdoch C., Widziolek M. (2021) Mechanisms of vascular damage by systemic dissemination of the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. FEBS J. 288:1479-95. doi: 10.1111/febs.15486.
This research has also been shortlisted for a SUNSTAR World Perio Research Award and SUNSTAR’s online Perio Link Award. A short video describing the research and aiming to raise awareness to the general public on the link between periodontal disease and general health is available on Youtube. Participants include prominent research groups from around the world and voting is encouraged till October 2021.