New research shows that the body’s own microbes are effective in maintaining immune cells and killing certain oral infections.
A team of Case Western Reserve University researchers found that antibiotics actually kill the “good” bacteria keeping infection and inflammation at bay.
Scientists have long known that overuse of antibiotics can do more harm than good. For example, overuse can cause antibiotic resistance. But research into this phenomenon in oral health was uncharted territory.
Pushpa Pandiyan, an assistant professor of biological sciences in the School of Dental Medicine, led a team of researchers to examine “resident” bacteria, their fatty acids and their effect on certain types of white blood cells that combat infections in the mouth. Specifically, researchers looked at the “short-term maintenance” of Tregs and Th-17 cells in fighting fungal infections, such as Candida, in a laboratory setting.
They found that those natural defenses were very effective in reducing infection and unwanted inflammation—and antibiotics can prevent such natural defenses.
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