Translational and clinical periodontal research
Despite extensive research and increased knowledge of the pathogenesis of periodontitis, however, the disease is still diagnosed once connective tissue and bone destruction has occurred. One of the challenges for early detection of periodontal disease is its “silent” nature – the disease does not cause pain and progress unnoticed.
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease initiated by oral pathogens that activate host immune response and subsequently the production of inflammatory mediators and proteolytic enzymes, collectively contributing to destruction of tooth-supporting structures. This prevalent disease, affecting 38% of adult population, has also been implicated as a risk factor for various systemic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Our research aims are to generate the transcriptomic and taxonomic profiling of periodontitis and to identify new targets and diagnostic biomarkers facilitating early and specific diagnosis of the disease, which could lead to identification of individuals at risk of bone loss as well as early treatment/preventive strategies.
In addition, we investigate the potential relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, as well as the effect of periodontal intervention on disease activity/severity.
Group members
Tülay Yucel-Lindberg (Associate professor), Carina Fei (PhD student), Abdul Alim (Postdoc), Kaja Eriksson (Postdoc, associated), Anna Lundmark (Postdoc, associated), Anna Kats (Postdoc, affiliated group member), Anders Lindunger (presumptive PhD-student), Mehrad Mohammadi (KI's summer research school). Graduate students: Caroline Åwall Blom, Abdulla Saleh, Nazia Yousafzai, Noran Al-Zaidi
Previous members of the group
Tove Båge (PhD), Haleh Davanian (PhD), Zenebech Wondimu (Postdoc), Lin Kiat Lee (Postdoc), Catalin Koro (Postdoc), Gregory Tour (Postdoc), Natalija Gerasimcik (Postdoc) and Pierre Georgsson (Research Assistant), Shigufta Syed (Master student)
Projects
- To profile the transcriptomic and taxanomic landscape of periodontitis
- To identify predictive and diagnostic biomarkers for periodontitis
- To develop anti-inflammatory agents targeting the enzyme prostaglandin E synthases for chronic inflammation/periodontal bone destruction
- To investigate the potential links between periodontal disease/periodontal pathogens and systemic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes)
- To study the interactions between oral microbiome and carcinogenesis
Research support
- Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) – PI
- Patentmedelsfonden – PI
- Stockholm County Council, KI/SLL for Odontological Research – PI
- Stockholm County Council, ALF – PI
- KID-funding (KI’s faculty funds) – PI
- Reumatikerförbundet – PI
- Vetenskapsrådet /Karolinska Institutet, research school in Odontology – PI
- Ulla och Gustaf af Ugglas stiftelse – PI
- Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) – Co-PI
Dissertations
- Anna Lundmark – Transcriptomic and taxonomic profiling of periodontitis by massively parallel sequencing
- Kaja Eriksson – Studies on the relationship between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Haleh Davanian – Gene expression profiling in periodontitis
- Anna Kats – Expression of prostaglandin E synthase-1 in periodontitis : in vivo and in vitro studies
- Tove Båge – Prostaglandin E synthases in periodontitis-affected gingival tissue and in gingival fibroblasts.