Two University of Pittsburgh researchers -- Alejandro Almarza, PhD, and Michael Gold, PhD -- are leading a $17 million study to investigate temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).
Funded by a grant from the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the project aims to collect data to improve how TMD-related pain is managed.
The study will operate within the broader TMD Collaborative for Improving Patient-Centered Translational Research. Researchers will use the data to characterize patients, with the goal of matching them with the most effective treatments.
Additionally, the findings intend to help refine preclinical models to uncover causal relationships and develop new therapies. The study will include 1,000 TMD patients and 300 pain-free controls, collecting data from brain imaging, RNA sequencing, epigenomics, proteomics, and microbiome analyses.
This study builds on insights from an earlier project, which examined individuals who are most likely to develop TMDs.
