Global research from the UAB School of Dentistry continues to impact oral health care

UAB researchers are pioneering five new projects as they continue making new discoveries and advancing science to benefit oral health locally and globally.
Photography: Steve Wood

The University of Alabama at BirminghamSchool of Dentistry consistently ranks among the top National Institutes of Health-funded dental schools in the United States. Centered on five core themes, its transformative dental research combines academic excellence with scientific methodology to discover answers to cutting-edge questions and improve oral health care for residents in Alabama and beyond. Five new research projects will allow UAB to continue making new discoveries and advance science to benefit oral health locally and globally.

Craniofacial Development and Genetics

Approximately one in 2,000 African children is affected by a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate. Quamarul Hassan, Ph.D., a professor in the UAB School of Dentistry, in collaboration with Keshav Singh, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Genetics, discovered a genome-wide association of African children that revealed a specific genetic variation in the MAFB gene, which plays an important role in lip formation and palatogenesis. Their research focuses on the role of MFAB in the development of cleft lip with and without cleft palate due to an impaired neural crest cell growth, migration and differentiation, which help develop craniofacial bones and cartilage.

"We are excited to announce that our research sheds new light on the role that the MAFB plays in controlling the development of the palate," Hassan said. "Mutations in this gene can significantly increase the risk of developing cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Our ongoing research in this area holds promise for understanding and potentially influencing bone and tooth formation processes."

Nathaniel Lawson, DMD, director of the UAB Division of Biomaterials and Quamarul Hassan, Ph.D., a professor in the UAB School of Dentistry.
Photography: Andrea Mabry and Lexi CoonHassan's laboratory, among others, has shown that the miR-23a∼27a∼24-2 cluster, also known as miR-23aCL - which regulates cell growth and differentiation, immune response, and cell death - significantly inhibits bone formation by controlling gene expression. Their current research aims to address critical gaps in understanding the epigenetic mechanisms of miR-23aCL in bone tissue homeostasis and its involvement in hormone receptor signaling, leading to altered responses in the presence of estrogen or androgen during the formation and maintenance of bone.

Biomaterial Science and Biomimetic

Nathaniel Lawson, DMD, director of the UAB Division of Biomaterials, and his research team are focused on developing new materials to support digital dentistry, which is the collection of digital information about a patient using items such as 3D tooth scans, X-rays and face scans, among other tools. This information is used to plan treatment and to design the equipment and dental materials needed for the treatment.

Lawson's early efforts focused on materials used for milling crowns and did some of the pioneering work to prove that zirconia crowns do not cause wear to opposing teeth. Since 2020, Lawson's lab has focused on testing 3D-printed materials that typically consist of plastics printed from resin. They collaborated with the departments of Chemistry and Materials Science to look at the strength and wear of materials used to 3D-print night guards and examined the properties of materials used for 3D-printed dentures.

"We characterized the newest class of 3D-printed materials that have gained the American Dental Association approval for use as crowns," Lawson said. "Although 3D-printed crowns are not as strong as the currently used ceramic crowns, they can be produced much faster and at a lower cost. If we can continue to find ways to improve the resins used to make these crowns or determine how to develop 3D-printed ceramics, 3D may become the industry standard for fabrication of dental crowns."

Oral Microbiology, Infection and Host Response

In her research, Ping Zhang, DDS, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Dentistry, focuses on the role that host-microbial interactions play in the development of oral infectious diseases, specifically tooth decay and gum disease. She is especially interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of imbalances in the microbiome and chronic inflammation on the regulation of the fate and function of osteoclasts, the cells that resorb bones, in periodontal disease. Her team is further interested in how aging affects these responses. With the funding support from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Zhang's recent studies have been focused on understanding how chronic infection and inflammation regulates osteoclast precursors and the role of osteoclast precursors in host susceptibility to periodontal bone loss.

Zhang is interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying the association between periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease. Increasing evidence suggests that there is a positive correlation between periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease. However, the exact nature of the relationship remains unclear. Her team recently demonstrated that periodontal infection can accelerate amyloid plaque deposition and worsen cognitive and behavioral impairment in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Zhang and her team will continue an in-depth investigation into the potential mechanisms underlying this connection.

From left to right: Ping Zhang, DDS, Ph.D., a professor in the UAB School of Dentistry, Hope Amm, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB School of Dentistry, Joana Cunha-Cruz, DDS, Ph.D., professor in the UAB School of Dentistry.
Photography: Lexi Coon and Steve Wood"The findings from this study hold the potential to significantly advance our understanding of the interplay between periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease, rendering support for the possibility of targeting microbial etiology and periodontal treatment to ameliorate the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease and lower Alzheimer's disease prevalence," Zhang said.

Oral Cancer and Bone Marrow Microenvironment

Hope Amm, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Dentistry, is focused on conducting translational research to understand cellular signaling within human tumors and cancers for the development of better diagnostic and treatment modalities. Amm works with both benign and malignant patient samples, including ameloblastoma and oral cancer, to conduct translational and basic science research. Her studies include biomarker-based imaging for defining surgical margins for patients with ameloblastoma and other tumors/cancers. Her team also focuses on the targeting of known tumor-driving pathways and proteins for the development of small molecule therapies for the treatment of oral tumors. Amm studies the role of the oral microbiome in progression and invasion of cancers in the mouth, head and neck.

"We hope our research will help oral cancer patients by providing a better understanding of how bacteria affect oral cancer progression," Amm said. "This will allow us to discover new targets for the development of new therapies."

Clinical Outcomes and Implementation Science

Joana Cunha-Cruz, DDS, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Dentistry and director of Communications and Dissemination for the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network based at UAB. Cunha-Cruz as part of the network works with clinicians across the country to conduct dental practice-based research to improve care delivery and oral health. Cunha-Cruz is currently in the final stages of participant enrollment in the nation's first and largest dental implant registry. The three-year study investigates the parameters associated with the success of implant therapy, as well as the rate of prosthetic and biologic implant complications. To date, the study has worked with almost 150 dental providers to enroll more than 1,300 patients with almost 1,900 dental implants.

"At the National Dental PBRN, one of our main goals is to improve oral health across the nation by conducting research in offices where patients are being treated," Cunha-Cruz said. "The network allows providers to learn from patients and learn from other providers in the network."

The UAB School of Dentistry was ranked No. 11 in National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research funding for 2023, with more than $4.7 million in funding. Learn more about UAB School of Dentistry's world-class research opportunities at uab.edu/dentistry.

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