HealthDay reported, “New research in mice is pointing to a surprising connection: Gum disease could exacerbate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).” Since “gum disease and COPD are both inflammatory conditions,” Chinese researchers studied “possible links using a mouse model.” According to the article, “In one set of experiments, they found that mice infected with gum disease and COPD had faster progression of COPD than if they only had COPD.” In another experiment, the researchers “tracked the spread of P. gingivalis throughout the rodents’ bodies,” finding “the bacterium moved from the mouth to COPD-affected lung tissue, where it upset the natural colonies of microbes in the lungs.” The researchers are planning “studies in people to help confirm these results.” The findings were published in the journal mSystems.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News also reported.