Grant: Project Grant

Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a very common infection of the mouth that causes inflammation of the gum tissues and also destroys the connective tissues and bone that support the teeth. Unfortunately, periodontitis is detected only after the gums and teeth have already been affected (and often irreversibly) by disease. The tools currently available to dentists do not allow them to predict those patients (or teeth) who may be at high risk for future gum disease. In addition, the treatments for gum disease often involve costly and invasive gum surgical procedures that do not target specific molecules responsible for the disease process. During periodontal infection, white blood cells release signaling molecules known as cytokines, some of which can aggravate periodontal disease. In addition, platelets control blood coagulation (clotting) but also release cytokines that can promote inflammation. The goal of this grant application is to study platelet-specific cytokines and to determine whether shutting down the function of these molecules might help to prevent tissue damage caused by gum disease. This is a unique approach to studying this very common disease and may, over the long term, lead to improved, less invasive treatments that would benefit dental patients in Canada and worldwide.