A new UCLA-led study provides clear evidence that cellular messengers in saliva may be able to regulate the growth of oral bacteria responsible for diseases, such as periodontitis and meningitis.
The study’s findings, which suggest that a body’s cellular messengers play an important role in managing the amount of good and bad bacteria in the mouth, are published online and will appear in the May issue of the Journal for Dental Research.
Study authors Dr. David Wong, professor of oral biology and associate dean for research at the UCLA School of Dentistry, and Dr. Wenyuan Shi, chief executive officer and chief science officer at the Forsyth Institute, an oral health research institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, asked the question of whether our RNA — the cellular messengers — can communicate with harmful bacteria in the mouth.
To view the full story, please click here.
