Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Nasa Light-Emitting Diodes For The Prevention Of Oral Mucositis In Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Patients, Harry T. Whelan, James F. Connelly, Brian D. Hodgson, Lori Barbeau, A. Charles Post, George Bullard, Ellen V. Buchmann, Mary Kane, Noel T. Whelan, Ann Warwick, David Margolis

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prophylactic near-infrared light therapy from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in pediatric bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients.

Background Data: Oral mucositis (OM) is a frequent side effect of chemotherapy that leads to increased morbidity. Near-infrared light has been shown to produce biostimulatory effects in tissues, and previous results using near-infrared lasers have shown improvement in OM indices. However, LEDs may hold greater potential for clinical applications.

Materials and Methods: We recruited 32 consecutive pediatric patients undergoing myeloablative therapy in preparation for BMT. Patients were examined by two …

Mandible Cleft: Report Of A Case And Review Of The Literature, Luis Eduardo Almeida, Lucienne Ulbrich, Fabricio Togni

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Median cleft of the lower lip and associated structures is a relatively rare condition. We report the case of a patient with mandibular cleft. Unlike other reported cases of similar disorders, there was no cleft of the lower lip. The literature on median clefts of the lower lip and mandible is reviewed, and the etiology and treatment are discussed.

Current Status Of Defensins And Their Role In Innate And Adaptive Immunity, Periathamby A. Raj, Andrew R. Dentino

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Naturally occurring antimicrobial cationic polypeptides play a major role in innate and adaptive immunity. These polypeptides are found to be either linear and unstructured or structured through disulfide bonds. Among the structured antimicrobial polypeptides, defensins comprise a family of cysteine-rich cationic polypeptides that contribute significantly to host defense against the invasion of microorganisms in animals, humans, insects and plants. Their wide-spread occurrence in various tissues of these diverse organisms, and their importance in innate and adaptive immunity have led to their identification, isolation and characterization. A large volume of literature is available on defensins’ occurrence, structural characterization, gene expression and …