NJDS is dedicated to research at all levels - basic, translational and clinical. Samples of research below highlight recent accomplishments at NJDS.

Scott Diehl, PhD, is professor and director of the Center of Pharmacogenomics and Complex Disease Research. He has performed a gene mapping of susceptibility to periodontitis. He is currently looking at 1) dental and skeletal fluorosis, a condition that weakens the enamel of the teeth and bones and 2) whether genetic variations are responsible for the side effects associated with opioid treatments, usually the only effective medications for people suffering severe pain.

Gill Diamond, PhD, is investigating the innate immune response of mucosal epithelia and how to maximize its activity against pathogens and minimize its activity against the host. Specifically, he is examining how tracheal and gingival epithelial cells recognize bacterial pathogens and respond with the increased expression of two classes of host defense peptides. He is also investigating the therapeutic potential of antimicrobial peptide mimetics against bacterial and fungal colonization.

Eli Eliav, DDS, PhD, is working to find more definitive diagnosis and more effective treatments for neuropathic pain by developing and testing refined sensory testing methods and applying novel treatment modalities. In addition, he studies the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines, anti-inflammatory cytokines and stem cells in neuropathic pain. He is also beginning to assess genetic and strain differences in oro-facial neuropathic and inflammatory pain.

Daniel Fine, DMD, Chair of the Department of Oral Biology and Director of the Center for Oral Infectious Diseases, studies host-parasite interactions with a focus on A.actinomycetemcomitans and its relationship to initiation of localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP). His work has both a clinical and molecular genetic approach. Studies include: 1) investigation into A actinomycetemcomitans adhesive molecules which bind to mammalian cells; 2) analysis of bone loss induced by A actinomycetemcomitans in a rat model; 3) design of new antimicrobial drugs derived from lactoferrin; 4) identification of an anti- A actinomycetemcomitans and anti-streptoccocal factors derived from saliva; and 5) bacterial and host risk factors associated with LAP. Dr. Fine continues to seek solutions to the many oral health care disparities among populations in inner cities.

David Goteiner, DDS, was the lead investigator in a study to determine whether acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and angina patients have a greater prevalence of IL-1 polymorphism at the time of hospital admission than groups without ACS and angina. The team concluded that for patients 60 years and older, there was a statistically significant correlation between ACS/angina and IL-1 polymorphism. Patients with ACS/angina were more likely to evidence positive IL-1 polymorphism and severe periodontitis. The findings were published in the Journal of Periodontology. "My hope is the results of this study will…also provide another tool for the early detection of heart disease so patients can quickly receive treatment."

Dana Graves, DMD, PhD, is investigating the impact of diabetes on the periodontium and wound healing along with the effect of oral bacteria on epithelial cells. Specifically he is interested in how cytokines regulate inflammation and cell death, including the activation of transcription factors that globally effect gene expression for programmed cell death. Dr. Graves is also investigating molecular mechanisms, including altered transcription factor activity and cytokine dysregulation, which may be related to higher levels of inflammation in cell death which occurs with diabetic complications, such as impaired wound and fracture healing and diabetic retinopathy.

Scott Kachlany, PhD, assistant professor, is working on a bacterium that causes oral disease and produces a toxin known as leukotoxin. Using molecular biology, immunology, biochemistry and genetic analysis, he is examining how leukotoxin contributes to disease and damages host cells. Specifically, he is working to (1) identify the genes that are required for production of active leukotoxin; (2) study the genes and proteins using genetic and biochemical approaches; and (3) grow crystals of leukotoxin to solve its three-dimensional atomic structure. This new information is leading to the design of therapeutic agents that can disrupt leukotoxin activity and ultimately treat or prevent diseases such as periodontal disease, leukemia and lymphoma.

Daniel Kadouri, PhD, is examining predatory bacteria and using them as biological control agents. Specifically he is looking at 1) understanding the mechanisms involved in predator-prey interactions and the “crosstalk” between the predator and its microbial host; 2) the use of Bdellovibrio to reduce biofilms of oral pathogens and to control drug resistant bacteria; 3) understanding the biology of species of Micavibrio. using a genetic and biochemical approach. Other research encompassed using of Galleria mellonella as an infection model system for the study of oral bacteria, isolating antimicrobial and biofilm degrading compounds from Gram-negative bacteria, and using of microbial compounds for post operative pain relief.

Jeffrey Kaplan, PhD, is conducting studies on various human, animal and plant pathogens. The main goal of his research is to discover novel methods to prevent infection using techniques that do not involve conventional antibiotics. Specifically, Dr. Kaplan is working on biofilm growth and detachment. This work resulted in the discovery of dispersin B, an enzyme which disrupts biofilms.

Narayanan Ramasubbu, PhD, focuses on structural biology to understand the structure-function relationships of proteins that have an impact in the oral cavity. He is currently studying the role of salivary a-amylase in dental caries pathogenesis. He is also looking at the role of aromatic residues in starch binding and S. gordonii in bacterial binding. His study of enzymatic removal of oral biofilms has identified a novel glycoside hydrolase from the periodontal pathogen, A actinomycetemcomitans. Agents and other enzymes that enhance the activity of this enzyme have been identified and studies in formulating an even better enzyme are in progress.

Vincent K. Tsiagbe, MS, PhD, is studying the relationships among normal cells that defend the body against infections and the way in which those relationships are used for B-cell lymphoma growth. Another aspect of his work is determining if viral genes can be “turned on” in B cells. In addition, Dr. Tsiagbe exames the role of immune cells in the development of gradual bone loss in periodontal disease.

• Biomedical Studies
• Community Health
• Diagnostic Services - Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain
• Endodontics
• Oral Biology
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Orthodontics
• Restorative Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry Implant Center

We serve an economically and ethnically diverse patient population from the entire state of New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania.

Dental/Maxillofacial Surgery