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Biochemist Myung Hee Park reflects on her 42-year career at NIDCR, where she pioneered research on a molecular pathway vital for nearly all life. Her findings could shed light on new approaches to treat certain cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders.

NIDCR dentist-scientist Jacqueline Mays is unravelling why bone marrow transplant patients sometimes develop chronic oral graft-versus-host disease, a condition where the new immune system attacks the mouth. Her findings may help scientists find better treatments and diagnostic tools.

NIDCR researchers mapped 120,000 individual cells in the oral mucous membrane, revealing a new role for connective tissue cells in orchestrating immune responses linked to gum disease. The detailed catalog of the mouth will serve as a rich resource for the oral research community.

As a youth, intramural researcher Eva Mezey remembers her mother, a scientist, theorizing about the possibility of a lymphatic drainage system in the brain. Over 50 years later, Mezey presents evidence of its existence.

Watch a fibroblast creep and crawl through a web of proteins. To move about the body, these common cells use methods that are distinct from cancer cells. The finding could shed light on ways to thwart spread of cancers, including those of the head and neck.

Early-stage researchers discuss their experiences in MIND the Future, a year-long program that provides one-on-one mentoring and career-related training to individuals from diverse backgrounds to ease the transition to research independence and to enhance the diversity of the dental, oral, and craniofacial research workforce.