MINI REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbial Symbioses
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1654137
This article is part of the Research TopicMutualistic and Antagonistic Interactions in the Human Oral MicrobiomeView all 5 articles
The role and mechanism of bacterial outer membrane vesicles in the development of periodontitis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Peking University Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Beijing, China
- 2Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China
- 32nd Dental Center, Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Chaoyang, China
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Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), nanoscale structures actively secreted by Gram-negative bacteria, have emerged as critical pathogenic components in periodontitis. While periodontitis has traditionally been associated with biofilm accumulation and bacterial colonization, recent studies highlight that OMVs contribute to disease progression independently of whole-cell bacterial presence. These vesicles are enriched with bioactive cargo such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), proteases, DNA, and toxins, enabling them to persist in the periodontal microenvironment and interact with host immune and structural cells. They are also actively involved in biofilm formation and contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Despite growing recognition of their involvement in periodontal disease, the extent of OMV interactions with host tissues and polymicrobial communities remains unclear. This review outlines the mechanisms through which OMVs influence inflammation, immune evasion, biofilm stability, and antibiotic resistance in periodontitis. It also highlights current knowledge gaps and concludes with potential therapeutic strategies targeting OMVs for the treatment of periodontitis.
Keywords: outer membrane vesicles, Periodontitis, Biofilm, Immunity, Inflammation
Received: 26 Jun 2025; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Sun, Ma, You, Bai and Deng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yunyang Bai, 2nd Dental Center, Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Chaoyang, China
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