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The virulent bacteria-induced host immune response dominates the occurrence and progression of periodontal diseases because of the roles of individual virulence factors from these pathogens in the initiation and spread of inflammation. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as a pathogenic entity have recently attracted great attention as messenger bridges between bacteria and host tissues. Herein, the novel role of OMVs derived from Fusobacterium nucleatum in the occurrence of periodontitis is dissected. In a rat periodontitis model, it is found that OMVs derived from F. nucleatum caused deterioration of periodontitis by enhancing inflammation of the periodontium and absorption of alveolar bone, which is almost equivalent to the effect of F. nucleatum itself. Furthermore, that OMVs can independently induce periodontitis is shown. The pathogenicity of OMVs is attributed to multiple pathogenic components identified by omics. After entering human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) by endocytosis, OMVs activated NLRP3 inflammasomes and impaired the mineralization of hPDLSCs through NF-κB (p65) signaling, leading to the final injury of the periodontium and damage of alveolar bone in periodontitis. These results provide a new understanding of OMVs derived from pathogens and cues for the prevention of periodontitis.
Zhang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.