From the College of Dental Medicine…
April 2024 Research Highlights reported by the College of Dental Medicine.
Xiaozhe Han, DMD, PhD, and his team have made a groundbreaking discovery involving the body’s own immune system. Their work focuses on a unique subset of regulatory B cells, known as B10 cells, which produce the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.
Publication Summary
The team found that these B10 cells directly interact with macrophages via PD-1-mediated signaling, reprogramming them to produce Resolvin D5, a molecule that helps resolve inflammation and promote tissue repair.
This discovery lays the foundation for potential cell-based regenerative therapies, offering hope for patients with persistent inflammatory oral diseases.
Read the full study here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40056161/
Maiko Suzuki, DDS, PhD, investigates the molecular biology of tooth development and mineralization, with a focus on how systemic factors, like fluoride, affect enamel and dentin formation at different developmental stages.
Publication Summary
Dr. Suzuki and her research team demonstrated that excessive systemic fluoride exposure not only disrupts enamel formation, a well-documented phenomenon, but also impairs dentin structure, in this first-of-its-kind study.
Using a fluoride concentration of 125 ppm, the study found that elevated levels of fluoride can denature dentin, weaken tooth structure, and increase susceptibility to bacterial infection, dental caries, and fracture. This discovery emphasizes the importance of dose regulation in systemic fluoride use and offers new insight into the broader effects of fluoride toxicity.
Read the full study here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39388299/