NIDCR News 2023

From gene therapy to salivary gland regeneration, NIDCR-supported scientists aim to restore saliva flow for people with diseased or damaged glands.

NIDCR issued 26 awards, totaling $14.1 million, as part of three bold new initiatives to tackle unsolved clinical challenges related to head and neck cancer, temporomandibular disorders, and practice-based dental research.

Decades of NIDCR research has expanded understanding of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain in general.

Patients and scientists celebrated the 25-year legacy of NIDCR research on fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome and shared their hopes for the future.

An international clinical trial suggests that early surgery for isolated cleft palate is more likely to benefit a child's speech.

NIDCR congratulates former institute grantee Dr. Drew Weissman for being a co-recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. 

An experimental drug, encaleret, showed promise for treating autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1 in an NIDCR-led trial. The rare genetic disorder, marked by low blood calcium levels, can cause symptoms from muscle cramps to life-threatening seizures.

NIDCR researchers made an unexpected discovery that helps to answer a long-standing mystery tied to a group of stem cells that are key to vertebrate development.

For 25 years, NIDCR scientists have been looking for better ways to treat fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome, a rare disorder of the bones, skin, and endocrine system.

The COVID-19 pandemic thrust NIDCR science into the spotlight. Research on virus biology, detection methods, and more could ready us for future pandemics.

NIDCR held a symposium on June 27, 2023, to kick off its year-long 75th anniversary celebration.

What shapes our faces? Decades’ worth of NIDCR research is enabling scientists to crack the code of facial appearance and craniofacial conditions.

NIDCR scientists found that mice lacking a protein called biglycan developed weak bones that healed poorly from fractures. The findings could inform strategies to better repair fractures and treat disorders marked by bone loss, such as osteoporosis.

NIDCR began its slate of 75th anniversary events on March 17, 2023, with a symposium called “Scientific Strides of the NIDCR: 75 Years and Beyond.”

An NIDCR-led clinical trial showed promise for treating fibrous dysplasia, a rare skeletal disorder. The medication, denosumab, is the first to reduce the bone-weakening process in the disorder.

Advances in digital technologies and data science hold promise for improving oral health care and enabling personalized treatment.

Scientific advances have not been fully translated into accessible oral health care for communities in need. Improving access to safe, affordable, and holistic medical and dental care can mitigate inequities.