Episode Details

What can your mouth tell us about multiple sclerosis?

In this episode of the MS-Perspektive Podcast, Professor Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam, immunologist and microbiome researcher at the University of Iowa, shares fascinating insights into the oral microbiome and multiple sclerosis. While most MS research focuses on the gut, this conversation highlights why oral bacteria and their metabolites may also play an important role in inflammation, immune regulation, and disease activity.

We talk about what the microbiome is, how the oral microbiome differs in people with MS, and why beneficial bacteria are reduced while potentially harmful ones increase. Professor Mangalam explains the relevance of microbial metabolites such as hypotaurine, discusses whether saliva could become a future biomarker for MS monitoring, and why oral health and regular dental care matter for people living with MS.

The episode also explores how combining oral, gut, and blood-based markers could support more personalized MS care in the future.

you can read the interview here: https://ms-perspektive.de/EN/149-ashu-mangalam

📌 Topics covered in this episode

• What the microbiome is and why it matters in MS

• The role of the oral microbiome in relapsing-remitting MS

• Dysbiosis: loss of beneficial bacteria and rise of pathogenic species

• Microbial metabolites and inflammation

• Saliva as a potential biomarker for MS monitoring

• Oral health, dental care, and lifestyle factors

• Personalized MS treatment using microbiome-based markers

• Future directions in MS and microbiome research