Headlines: Spring 2021

An international team of scientists led by NIDCR’s Blake Warner, DDS, PhD, MPH, and Kevin Byrd, DDS, PhD, of the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, found evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the mouth, particularly the salivary glands. As described by Warner in a video interview, the results suggest that infected oral cells are a likely source of infectious virus in the saliva, and that the presence of virus in saliva is connected to taste loss in people with COVID-19. The study provides a foundation for better understanding the mouth’s involvement in COVID-19 and could inform strategies to reduce viral transmission within and outside the body.

With NIDCR support, a multidisciplinary research team that includes occupational therapists and dental clinicians is creating soothing dental environments for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a recent review article, the scientists lay out suggestions for reducing anxiety in children with ASD during dental visits to reduce their risk for poor oral health. Some strategies include preparing sensory-friendly settings and reading social stories with pictures to prepare children for upcoming dental procedures.

A team led by NIDCR scientists discovered a new genetic disorder characterized by developmental delays and malformations of the brain, heart, and facial features. The disorder is caused by a mutated version of the OTUD5 gene, which interferes with key steps in embryo development. As the scientists discuss in a video interview, the newly identified pathway may be essential for human development and could underlie other disorders that are present at birth. 

Researchers regenerated parts of the skull with stem cells and reversed learning and memory deficits in mice with craniosynostosis, a condition that leads to abnormal growth of the skull and thinking and learning problems in humans. Current treatment requires complex surgery within the first year of life, but skull defects often return afterward. The study, supported by NIDCR, could pave the way to more effective and less invasive therapies for children with craniosynostosis.

NIH scientists found that an overactive immune response leaves the oral cavity vulnerable to fungal infections in people and mice with genetic defects that cause a rare autoimmune disease. The team, including NIDCR scientists, say the discovery could lead to better therapies for fungal infections in patients with the rare disease and other conditions while providing insight into immune mechanisms in other mucosal tissues.

Immunologist Roxane Tussiwand, PhD, recently joined NIDCR as an NIH Stadtman Investigator. She studies how blood-forming stem cells are shaped by their environment into the various types of mature immune cells that defend the body. Her work could shed light on infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancer, which touched her own family.

Researchers engineered a new type of surgical adhesive that is stretchy like rubber bands and sticky in wet environments. This nature-inspired material, developed with long-term NIDCR support, is an unexpected offshoot of basic research that may help patients heal better after injury or surgery. With further validation and optimization, the adhesive may one day find use in dental practices as a substitute for stitches or as a wound barrier to protect bone grafts.

Scientists are adapting a surgical bone glue to deliver non-addictive, locally acting pain medicine directly to the site of a wisdom tooth removal. The study, supported by NIDCR and the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, aims to reduce the need for opioid prescriptions in young patients, in line with the initiative’s goal of finding long-term scientific solutions for the opioid epidemic.