Nuclear Medicine & Radiation Therapy

Effects of Irradiation on Epithelial Wound Healing and Microbial Diversity in an in-vitro Oral Mucosa Model

Abstract

Tine De Ryck, Tom Boterberg, Frederiek-Maarten Kerckhof, Joachim De Schrijver, Marc Bracke, Tom Van de Wiele and Barbara Vanhoecke

The impact of irradiation on host-microbe crosstalk is still underexplored. By use of an in vitro oral mucosa model, we show an impact of irradiation on epithelial wound healing depending on the microbial composition and functionality. 454-pyrosequencing analyses pointed to a slight increase in abundance of Rothia, Granulicatella and Gemella in our model after irradiation. Further research is needed to unravel the effects of irradiation on the oral microbiota and the host-microbe interactions more in detail.