Investigating oral microbiome profiles in patients with cleft lip and palate compared with the healthy control.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) have an oronasal communication differed from the closed state in healthy individuals, leading to a unique oral microbiome. This study aimed to determine if variances in the oral microbiota persist among CLP patients who have received treatments for the closure of these fistulas compared to the microbiota of healthy individuals. METHODS: Saliva samples were collected from a cohort comprising 28 CLP patients (CLP group) and 30 healthy controls (HC group). Utilizing 16S rRNA sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq platform, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and composition of the oral microbiota. RESULTS: The analysis of the microbiota in the saliva samples revealed a total of 23 microbial phyla, 38 classes, 111 orders, 184 families, 327 genera and 612 species. The alpha diversity with microbial abundance and evenness indicated the significant difference between the CLP and HC groups. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and the ADONIS test further supported the presence of distinct microorganisms between the two groups. The CLP group displayed elevated abundances of Neisseria, Haemophilus, Porphyromonas, and Granulicatella, as indicated by LefSe analysis. Conversely, Rothia, Veillonella, and Pauljensenia exhibited significant reductions in abundance in the CLP group. The results of the PICRUSt analysis indicated significant differences in the relative abundance of 25 KEGG pathways within the CLP group. Through Spearman correlation analysis, strong associations between Rothia, Veillonella, and Pauljensenia and 25 functional pathways linked to CLP were identified. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study offer a thorough comprehension of the microbiome profiles of CLP patients after the restoration of oronasal structure and are anticipated to present innovative concepts for the treatment of CLP.

M2 Macrophages Guide Periosteal Stromal Cell Recruitment and Initiate Bone Injury Regeneration.

The periosteum plays a critical role in bone repair and is significantly influenced by the surrounding immune microenvironment. In this study, we employed 10× single-cell RNA sequencing to create a detailed cellular atlas of the swine cranial periosteum, highlighting the cellular dynamics and interactions essential for cranial bone injury repair. We noted that such injuries lead to an increase in M2 macrophages, which are key in modulating the periosteum's immune response and driving the bone regeneration process. These macrophages actively recruit periosteal stromal cells (PSCs) by secreting Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), a crucial factor in initiating bone regeneration. This recruitment process emphasizes the critical role of PSCs in effective bone repair, positioning them as primary targets for therapeutic interventions. Our results indicate that enhancing the interaction between M2 macrophages and PSCs could significantly improve the outcomes of treatments aimed at cranial bone repair and regeneration.