Roni Shouval, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, comments on the results of a study investigating the relationship between changes in the behaviour of the salivary microbiome and metabolome and the severity of oral mucositis in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). The study identified several bacteria associated with future development of severe oral mucositis and showed that the oral microbiome and metabolome of patients with severe oral mucositis post-alloHSCT underwent significant changes. In particular, changes in specific metabolites involved in the polyamine pathway were detected, suggesting this pathway as a potential avenue for intervention. This interview took place at the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2022, which was held virtually.
