Grant: Project Grant

Periodontal diseases (PD) affect a large segment of the population and their severity increases with age. They are a leading cause of tooth and supporting bone loss, ultimately requiring restoration with metal implants. PD are also directly linked to systemic afflictions such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and diabetes. Recently, a major periodontal pathogen has also been linked with Alzheimer's disease. While the morbidity of PD is well recognized, there is now growing evidence that related complications may also influence mortality. There still exists no cure for this widespread disease, and treatments essentially rely on a continuous management approach. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel preventive and therapeutic treatments for PD to meet the increasing needs of our aging population. PD take a downhill turn when the seal around the tooth formed by a specialized portion of the gingiva fails. We have identified a novel protein that is implicated in maintaining the integrity of this epithelial seal. Our research aims at understanding how the protein works so we can devise novel preventive and therapeutic approaches. Understanding the role of this novel protein in the epithelial seal around teeth will also improve the outcome of dental implants, which are similarly subject to a 'form' of PD that represents a major threat to their longevity. PD affect quality of life and, together with the related systemic effects, they represent a significant health and financial burden not only to the patient but also to society. Our research strives towards a change in paradigm for PD treatment to one based on early intervention to prevent breakdown of the gingival seal around teeth and implants or to restore it before local destructive progression of the disease and systemic dissemination of bacteria.