Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans: From Basic to Advanced Research.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a major periodontal pathogen that was identified firstly in actinomycotic lesions and later in advanced forms of periodontal diseases as well as in oral cavity of healthy subjects. The particular pathogenicity of this specie makes it a target for extensive studies both at fundamental and practical scales. The current advances in experimental and clinical research related to this bacterium focus the light on epidemiologic features, virulence, and invasiveness aspects as well as on identification challenges, bacterial susceptibility, and anti-virulence strategies. The present chapter provide to scientists and periodontal researchers a comprehensive overview on the main advances made in this field with a special focus on epidemiologic dissemination, microbial diagnosis, virulence factors and clinical implementations of such progress.