Investigating the metabolite signature of an altered oral microbiota as a discriminant factor for multiple sclerosis: a pilot studyOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Paired oral and faecal microbiota were profiled in MS patients and controls. MS showed depletion of commensals (Aggregatibacter and Streptococcus in saliva, Roseburia in faeces) and enrichment of inflammation-associated bacteria (Leptotrichia, Fusobacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, Actinomyces), with metabolite shifts including reduced non-heme ferritin and increased sulfur pathways. A salivary metabolite signature discriminated MS with 92 percent specificity in an independent cohort.