Could ProfAngry hold the key to controlling MS. ProfA is a bit of a boffin and has more ideas thatn you can shake a stick at. Although you may know him for making tests for antibodies that we use in MS….ProfA is part of the Dentistry Faculty and researches dental problems too…He is looking at ways to inhibit gum disease and I won’t tell you the approach to doing this but it involves controlling the effects of bacterial nasties in the mouth.
So the following paper perked my interest and this implicates another mouth bacteria (Fusobacterium) in the causal pathway of MS. These look like little worms in the pictures I have found. As ever it is impossible to link cause and effect with any of these (oral) microbiome studies and so best to keep you gnashers and gums healthy and keep your teeth clean. Metronidazole an antibiotic often used in dental infections can induce metronidazole-induced encephalopathy in rare cases so don’t try Do-it Yourself anti-biotic treatments
COI None
Disclaimer: This is a rare but serious side effect that can occur, especially with prolonged treatment
Naito H, Nakamori M, Nishi H, Toko M, Muguruma T, Yamada H, Sugimoto T, Yamazaki Y, Ochi K, Kawaguchi H, Maruyama H. The periodontal pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum is associated with disease severity in multiple sclerosis. Sci Rep. 2025; 15:38316. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-22266-x.
Increasing evidence suggests that periodontitis may contribute to central nervous system disorders through chronic inflammation, but its role in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains unclear. This exploratory, cross-sectional study investigated the associations between the relative abundance of periodontal pathogens in the oral cavity and the clinical characteristics of MS. We enrolled 98 patients with MS, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease. Tongue coating samples were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting four periodontal species. High relative abundance was defined as an abundance exceeding the third quartile in proportion to the total abundance of bacteria. Associations between clinical and MRI features were assessed. Among the 56 patients with MS, only a high relative abundance of Fusobacterium nucleatum was associated with disease severity, as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (p = 0.009). No associations were observed for the other three pathogens or in the non-MS groups. In a multivariate analysis, a high relative abundance of Fusobacterium nucleatum remained independently associated with the EDSS score. These findings suggest a potential association between the relative abundance of Fusobacterium nucleatum in the oral cavity and disease severity in MS.
Source: multiple-sclerosis-research.org