Archaea and tooth decay
Official title: Involvement of Archaea in Carious Disease
Run by Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille · NCT06787261 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether certain archaea in saliva and cavity tissue are linked to tooth decay in adults treated at the Timone dentistry clinic.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Marseille) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | February 19, 2026 |
| Main results expected | February 19, 2027 |
| Study ends | February 1, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | February 23, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06787261 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adult patients under care at the PROMOD - Timone Restorative and Preventive Dentistry unit who can give written consent, are covered by social security, and have not used antibiotics in the past month or mouthwash in the past week are appropriate candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with periodontitis, minors, people under guardianship or deprived of liberty, pregnant or breastfeeding women, those who recently used antibiotics or mouthwash, or people who cannot read and understand French are not eligible and would not benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The team will collect saliva and carious tissue samples from adult patients at the PROMOD - Timone Restorative and Preventive Dentistry unit and screen them for methanogenic archaea. Samples will be analyzed by culture and molecular methods using the group's dedicated archaea platform to identify and quantify archaeal species. Researchers will compare archaeal presence and load against each patient's individual caries risk profile to look for associations. The investigators bring prior experience culturing methanogens and have previously discovered human nanoarchaea, providing specialized laboratory capability for this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to improved prevention or targeted treatments for tooth decay by identifying archaeal contributors in the mouth.
How similar studies have gone: Archaea have been associated with periodontal disease in prior work, but their direct role in carious lesions has been little studied, making this approach relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female of legal age. * Patient who is a beneficiary or entitled beneficiary of a social security * Patient under the care of the Restorative and Preventive Dentistry of the PROMOD - Timone Dentistry Unit. * Patients capable of giving written consent. Exclusion Criteria: Patient in a period of exclusion from another research protocol at the time of signing the consent form, Subjects covered by articles L1121-5 to 1121-8 of the Public Health public health code (minor patients, patients of full age under guardianship, patients deprived of their liberty, pregnant or breast-feeding), A person who does not have a sufficient command of reading and understanding of the French language to be able to consent to take part in the research Presence of periodontitis (gingivitis not being a criterion for a criterion for non-inclusion). Antibiotics taken in the previous month. Use of mouthwash in the previous 7 days.
Where it's running
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Asssistance Publique Hopitaux de Marseille
Marseille, France Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Giuliani alexandra project manager
- Email: alexandra.giuliani@ap-hm.fr
- Phone: +33491382747
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.