UCSF

Oral dysbiosis is an imbalance in the oral microbiome and is associated with a variety of oral and systemic diseases, including periodontal disease, caries, and head and neck/oral cancer. Although antibiotics can be used to control this dysbiosis, they can lead to adverse side effects and superinfections. Thus, novel strategies have been proposed to address these shortcomings. One strategy is the use of probiotics as antimicrobial agents, since they are considered safe for humans and the environment. Specifically, the gram-positive Lactococcus lactis, an endemic species to the oral and gut microflora, is able to produce nisin, which has been used worldwide for food preservation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test whether the probiotic can promote a healthier oral microbiome in pathogen-spiked oral biofilms. We found that L. lactis can prevent oral biofilm formation, abrogate 48h pre-formed biofilms. Finally, we demonstrate that both treatments return the relative abundance and diversity levels back to healthy control levels. Thus, nisin and its probiotic (nisin-producing L. lactis) can be used to treat peri-implantitis and promote healthier oral biofilms, which may be useful for improving patient oral health.