The Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine has received a five-year, $9.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research to study oral health as one of the human body's frontline defenses against infections. It is the largest grant ever in the dental school's 117-year history, according to the school.
Under the direction of lead investigator Aaron Weinberg, D.M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor and chair of the department of biological sciences at the dental school, a team of 22 researchers will unravel changes in the human body's innate immune system in HIV-infected people on antiretroviral therapies to provide new insights into how the body helps keep us healthy.
"New evidence surfaces repeatedly that oral health plays an important and integral role in general health," said Jerold Goldberg, dean of the dental school, in a press release. "The award from the NIH demonstrates the importance of working across disciplines and professions to answer complex questions."
Through four research projects funded by the grant, researchers will examine changes in the frontline defense humans have against infections, such as human beta-defensins (hBDs) and other innate immune molecules, found in the epithelial linings of the mouth, skin, and urogenital track, which are constantly challenged by bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
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