Figure 1.

Radiation therapy (RT) induced multiple side effects during the oral mucositis (OM) stages. The clinical effects of RT in the host oral mucosa are highlighted in the upper panel (host tissue). Below, oral microbiome diversity is associated with reduced ecosystem symbiosis (dysbiosis) and the increased fungal infection occurrence. In parallel, the increase of Lactobacilli sp. is significantly high compared to healthy controls, when patients experience xerostomia. Novel studies reviewed here highlight the importance of more deep investigations to better explain the causality of these significant fluctuations for a more rational development of anti-inflammatory or antifungal therapies in OM.