# Characterization of the oral microbiome of patients with Multiple Sclerosis

> **NIH VA I21** · JESSE BROWN VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · —

## Abstract

It is now accepted that levels and diversity of bacteria present in tissues influence disease
progression, and numerous studies have characterized the microbiome in a variety of
neurological diseases and conditions and identified differences between patients and
healthy controls; specific species that produce metabolites that influence disease; and
shown that modifying the microbiome can alter the course of disease. The majority of
these studies, including in MS patients, examined the gut microbiome using fecal samples
as a surrogate for intestinal flora. However, the microbiome of the oral cavity has a similar
high degree of bacterial diversity, and is beginning to be used more often as an easier
source of samples. In preliminary studies we analyzed saliva DNA from a pair of
monozygotic twins discordant for MS (RRMS versus CIS), and found differences at all
taxonomic levels, with species differences greater than 30-fold. In new studies with
collaborators in France, we compared the oral biome of 12 MS patients to 24 healthy
controls, and found differences at the phylum and genus levels. We now propose to
replicate those studies in larger cohorts of MS patients using samples obtained from
African American and White Veterans with MS; and compare their oral biome to that of
race, gender and age matched controls. The biome will be determined by standard 16S
rRNA amplicon sequencing, and comparisons made using available software. We will test
if differences in relative abundance can distinguish between MS and controls, and if
differences are present in both AA and White MS patients. We will stratify the data to
determine if relative abundances are associated with age, gender, or ethnicity. We will
also measure levels of bacteria that produce butyrate, a powerful anti-inflammatory
molecule, which has been shown to be reduced in MS gut studies. Overall, a knowledge
of the oral microbiome will help guide therapeutic approaches designed to increase levels
of beneficial species, while reducing levels of potentially detrimental bacteria; and can
potentially be used to monitor disease progression and treatment efficacy; and could
provide clues as to the contributing causes

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10720886
- **Project number:** 5I21BX005914-02
- **Recipient organization:** JESSE BROWN VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Douglas L. Feinstein
- **Activity code:** I21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-10-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10720886

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10720886, Characterization of the oral microbiome of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (5I21BX005914-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10720886. Licensed CC0.

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