Research can help understand how the diversity of viral species found in the mouth relates to people’s health
A study published in the journal iScience on June 17 (intact– 6.7 MB) cataloged 48,425 different species of viruses in the human mouth, with 70% of these types of viruses were unknown.
We analyzed 2,792 samples of organic material from the mouth (saliva, dental plaque, oral mucosa, among others) collected in 9 countries: China, United States, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Australia and Fiji.
The work was carried out by Chinese researchers linked to different universities in China, the United States and Denmark.
The study is part of a worldwide movement to catalog the human virome, that is, the virus species that coexist in the body. This movement began just over 10 years ago, but scientists say they believe that a tiny portion of the species has already been discovered.
previous search estimate that there are 380 trillion virus particles in the human body, of various species. The number is 10 times the amount of bacteria in the body (38 trillion)
Viruses are not necessarily harmful to health. Many are related to important processes in the human body. In 2019, for example, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered viruses that have been linked to the body’s ability to fight off respiratory illnesses. There are also virus genes in regions of human DNA that produce proteins important for health.
The process of cataloging viruses, however, is historically related to pathogens. Gene libraries to date are concentrated on this type of viral species. The construction of the human virome seeks to open space for the study of other species.
The work of the Chinese researchers starts the OVD, a new oral virus database with the genomes of the cataloged species.
The discovery of new species of viruses in the mouth can expand the understanding of how the oral microbiome influences people’s health.
This understanding is now more consolidated today in relation to bacteria. Diabetes, lung infections, heart disease and even premature birth have already been linked by scientists to the diversity of bacteria in the oral cavity.
In the case of oral viruses, scientists know, for example, that the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus (a kind of herpesvirus) can contribute to oral cancer and be related to diseases in the hands and feet. Others studies claim that a greater variety of species present in the mouth is related to healthier individuals.
The new research should allow expanding this understanding.
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