Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Dentistry Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Dentistry

The Role Of Nod-Like Receptors In Innate Immunity, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Luiz Eduardo Baggio Savio, Robson Coutinho-Silva, David M. Ojcius Mar 2023

The Role Of Nod-Like Receptors In Innate Immunity, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Luiz Eduardo Baggio Savio, Robson Coutinho-Silva, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

The innate immune system in vertebrates and invertebrates relies on conserved receptors and ligands, and pathways that can rapidly initiate the host response against microbial infection and other sources of stress and danger. Research into the family of NOD-like receptors (NLRs) has blossomed over the past two decades, with much being learned about the ligands and conditions that stimulate the NLRs and the outcomes of NLR activation in cells and animals. The NLRs play key roles in diverse functions, ranging from transcription of MHC molecules to initiation of inflammation. Some NLRs are activated directly by their ligands, while other ligands …


Interactions Between Silica And Titanium Nanoparticles And Oral And Gastrointestinal Epithelia: Consequences For Inflammatory Diseases And Cancer, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Leticia Ferreira Cabido, Wei Chun Chin, Ge Wang, David M. Ojcius, Changqing Li Mar 2023

Interactions Between Silica And Titanium Nanoparticles And Oral And Gastrointestinal Epithelia: Consequences For Inflammatory Diseases And Cancer, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Leticia Ferreira Cabido, Wei Chun Chin, Ge Wang, David M. Ojcius, Changqing Li

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) composed of elements such as silica and titanium, smaller than 100 nm in diameter and their aggregates, are found in consumer products such as cosmetics, food, antimicrobials and drug delivery systems, and oral health products such as toothpaste and dental materials. They may also interact accidently with epithelial tissues in the intestines and oral cavity, where they can aggregate into larger particles and induce inflammation through pathways such as inflammasome activation. Persistent inflammation can lead to precancerous lesions. Both the particles and lesions are difficult to detect in biopsies, especially in clinical settings that screen large numbers …


Effects Of Frankincense Compounds On Infection, Inflammation, And Oral Health, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Nallusamy Sivakumar, Homer Asadi, Anna Chang-Chien, M. Walid Qoronfleh, David M. Ojcius, Musthafa Mohamed Essa Jul 2022

Effects Of Frankincense Compounds On Infection, Inflammation, And Oral Health, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Nallusamy Sivakumar, Homer Asadi, Anna Chang-Chien, M. Walid Qoronfleh, David M. Ojcius, Musthafa Mohamed Essa

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Boswellia trees, found throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, are the source of frankincense oil. Since antiquity, frankincense has been traded as a precious commodity, but it has also been used for the treatment of chronic disease, inflammation, oral health, and microbial infection. More recently, the bioactive components of Boswellia trees have been identified and characterized for their effects on cancer, microbial infection (especially infection by oral pathogens), and inflammation. Most studies have focused on cell lines, but more recent research has also investigated effects in animal models of disease. As natural products are considered to …


Is There An Association Between Oral Health And Severity Of Covid-19 Complications?, Nathalie Botros, Parvati Iyer, David M. Ojcius Aug 2020

Is There An Association Between Oral Health And Severity Of Covid-19 Complications?, Nathalie Botros, Parvati Iyer, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Most patients with severe complications from COVID-19 have underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. In parallel, there is growing evidence for a link between periodontitis and non-oral systemic diseases. The oral cavity is also a reservoir for respiratory pathogens, and patients with periodontal disease are more likely to develop hospital-acquired pneumonia than healthy individuals. We therefore hypothesize that improving oral health could decrease the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and reduce the associated morbidity.


Commentary: Phytocannabinoids As Therapeutic Agents To Combat Chronic Gingival Disease., Nick Narek Ohanian May 2020

Commentary: Phytocannabinoids As Therapeutic Agents To Combat Chronic Gingival Disease., Nick Narek Ohanian

Pacific Journal of Health

The therapeutic potential of cannabis has been harnessed for thousands of years yet the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has still not approved cannabis as a safe or effective drug. The FDA has, however, approved the manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs, which contain a “synthetic version of a substance that is present in the marijuana” and other compounds that mimic its action. A search of the US National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health for keywords “CBD” and “Periodontitis” together yields only 2 publications. Although the current State and Federal regulations on the use of cannabis for …


Possible Role Of Tryptophan And Melatonin In Covid-19, Musthafa Mohamed Essa, Hamdan Hamdan, Saravana Babu Chidambaram, Buthainah Al-Balushi, Gilles J. Guillemin, David M. Ojcius, M. Walid Qoronfleh Jan 2020

Possible Role Of Tryptophan And Melatonin In Covid-19, Musthafa Mohamed Essa, Hamdan Hamdan, Saravana Babu Chidambaram, Buthainah Al-Balushi, Gilles J. Guillemin, David M. Ojcius, M. Walid Qoronfleh

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.


Nlrx1 Modulates Differentially Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation And Nf-Κb Signaling During Fusobacterium Nucleatum Infection, Shu Chen Hung, Pei Rong Huang, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Kalina R. Atanasova, Ozlem Yilmaz, David M. Ojcius Oct 2018

Nlrx1 Modulates Differentially Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation And Nf-Κb Signaling During Fusobacterium Nucleatum Infection, Shu Chen Hung, Pei Rong Huang, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-Da-Silva, Kalina R. Atanasova, Ozlem Yilmaz, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

NOD-like receptors (NLRs) play a large role in regulation of host innate immunity, yet their role in periodontitis remains to be defined. NLRX1, a member of the NLR family that localizes to mitochondria, enhances mitochondrial ROS (mROS) generation. mROS can activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, yet the role of NLRX1 in NLRP3 inflammasome activation has not been examined. In this study, we revealed the mechanism by which NLRX1 positively regulates ATP-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation through mROS in gingival epithelial cells (GECs). We found that depletion of NLRX1 by shRNA attenuated ATP-induced mROS generation and redistribution of the NLRP3 inflammasome adaptor protein, …


Lipoxin A4 Attenuates The Inflammatory Response In Stem Cells Of The Apical Papilla Via Alx/Fpr2, A. Gaudin, Miroslav Tolar, Ove A. Peters Jun 2018

Lipoxin A4 Attenuates The Inflammatory Response In Stem Cells Of The Apical Papilla Via Alx/Fpr2, A. Gaudin, Miroslav Tolar, Ove A. Peters

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Similar to the onset phase of inflammation, its resolution is a process that unfolds in a manner that is coordinated and regulated by a panel of mediators. Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) has been implicated as an anti-inflammatory, pro-resolving mediator. We hypothesized that LXA4 attenuates or prevents an inflammatory response via the immunosuppressive activity of Stem Cells of the Apical Papilla (SCAP). Here, we report for the first time in vitro that in a SCAP population, lipoxin receptor ALX/FPR2 was constitutively expressed and upregulated after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and/or TNF-α. Moreover, LXA4 significantly enhanced proliferation, migration, and wound …


Biological Markers For Pulpal Inflammation: A Systematic Review., Dan-Krister Rechenberg, Johnah C. Galicia, Ove A. Peters Jan 2016

Biological Markers For Pulpal Inflammation: A Systematic Review., Dan-Krister Rechenberg, Johnah C. Galicia, Ove A. Peters

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pulpitis is mainly caused by an opportunistic infection of the pulp space with commensal oral microorganisms. Depending on the state of inflammation, different treatment regimes are currently advocated. Predictable vital pulp therapy depends on accurate determination of the pulpal status that will allow repair to occur. The role of several players of the host response in pulpitis is well documented: cytokines, proteases, inflammatory mediators, growth factors, antimicrobial peptides and others contribute to pulpal defense mechanisms; these factors may serve as biomarkers that indicate the status of the pulp. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to …


Functional Local Renin-Angiotensin System In Human And Rat Periodontal Tissue, Carlos Ferreira Santos, Ana Carolina Morandini, Thiago José Dionísio, Flávio A. Faria, Marta C. Lima, Caio M. Figueiredo, Bella L. Colombini-Ishikiriama, Carla Renata Sipert, Rubens P. Maciel, Ana P. Akashi, Gabriela P. Souza, Gustavo P. Garlet, Camila O. Rodini, Sandra L. Amaral, Christiane Becari, Maria C. Salgado, Eduardo B. Oliveira, Isaac Matus, Daniela N. Didier, Andrew S. Greene Jan 2015

Functional Local Renin-Angiotensin System In Human And Rat Periodontal Tissue, Carlos Ferreira Santos, Ana Carolina Morandini, Thiago José Dionísio, Flávio A. Faria, Marta C. Lima, Caio M. Figueiredo, Bella L. Colombini-Ishikiriama, Carla Renata Sipert, Rubens P. Maciel, Ana P. Akashi, Gabriela P. Souza, Gustavo P. Garlet, Camila O. Rodini, Sandra L. Amaral, Christiane Becari, Maria C. Salgado, Eduardo B. Oliveira, Isaac Matus, Daniela N. Didier, Andrew S. Greene

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

The initiation or progression of periodontitis might involve a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in periodontal tissue. The aim of this study was to further characterize the local RAS in human and rat periodontal tissues between healthy and periodontally-affected tissue. Components of the RAS were investigated using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo experiments involving both human and Wistar rat periodontium. Although not upregulated when challenged with P. gingivalis-lipopolysaccharide, human gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts expressed RAS components. Likewise, healthy and inflamed human gingiva expressed RAS components, some of which were shown to be functional, yet no differences in expression …