Most diverse microbial and immune ecosystems provide invaluable molecular information to the establishment of symbiosis and health. In the oral cavity, organisms from polygenic nature have evolved to adapt to their environment, developing unique molecular cues to the host phenotypes. The majority of oral microbes are considered commensals, but further discussion is needed to dissect how their signals drive dysbiosis.

Despite new sequencing and omics pipelines, the exact microbes and signals governing the local and systemic actions remain elusive. The immune system is highly responsive to stimuli and is continuously influenced by external factors (e.g. airborne, alimentary, environmental antigens). Thus, defining the microbial members and their molecular signals important to protect or harm the host is key for future precision medicine.

Oral commensals are capable of modulating the innate immune system through various stimuli and discussing these specific markers is key to discovering novel interactions. It has been demonstrated that small molecules derived from innate immune responses such as lipid mediators provide agonist insights impacting the rate of phagocytosis, efferocytosis and return to homeostasis. Additionally, adaptive immune functions such as the production of antibodies and specific T-cell receptors present a diverse repertoire able to control tissue loss. These innate and adaptive signals are important for the maintenance of tolerance and homeostasis. How these molecular insights are impacted by the microbiome in a host-microbial niche requires further exploration.

The main goal of this Research Topic is to explore the role of oral commensals interactions with the host in human and animal models. In this Research Topic we welcome authors to submit Review, Mini-Review, Original Research, Perspective and Commentary articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics:

1. The dual role of commensals in homeostasis and pathogenic signals
2. Discuss how the defective immune system enrich for microbial dysbiosis leading to inflammation and autoimmunity
3. Integrating Omics applications to identify host-microbial biomarkers and disease predictors
4. Protective immune stimulation by the microbiome and the role of microbial-immune signals on emerging therapeutics
5. Microbial and immune interactions in health and in the context of inflammation and autoimmune diseases

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Immunology

Participating Journals

Impact