It is important to note that P. gingivalis may also work synergistically with other periodontal bacteria such as F. nucleatum highlighted in recent work by Gallimidi et al. This study, using a novel mouse model for periodontitis-associated oral cancer has observed the synergistic effects of P. gingivalis with oral opportunistic pathogen, F. nucleatum, resulting in increased tumor severity, cell proliferation and inflammatory mediators via epithelial-expressed TLR2 activation (Binder Gallimidi et al., 2015). Here, TLR2 is linked to periodontitis.