The Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) will allow the candidate, Dr. Wenge Ma, to develop into an independent researcher who will conduct both basic and translational research in the field of periodontal medicine. Over the course of this award, Dr. Ma will finish her PhD training in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences and complete a specialty program in Periodontology with the goal of pursuing an academic career. Both the candidate and the mentors have strong research backgrounds in microbiology and reproductive biology. In this context, the proposed experiments will investigate the enigmatic observation that patients with periodontitis have up to a seven-fold increase in their risk of developing preterm labor. Specifically, the candidate will develop a mouse model to test the hypothesis that the mucin-coated oral and uterine cavities present similar carbohydrate receptors that specify the bacterial ecology of both regions.
The specific aims are as follows.
(Aim 1) Profile salivary and uterine mucin expression in the mouse by using a combination of RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunolocalization approaches.
(Aim 2) Characterize the oligosaccharide structures that are carried by mouse salivary and uterine mucins by evaluating their reactivity with a bank of antibodies and lectins that specifically react with these carbohydrate motifs.
(Aim 3) Elucidate the mechanism of mouse salivary and uterine mucin oligosaccharide sulfation by profiling expression of the relevant glycosyl sulfotransferases. The information obtained from these studies will form a sound foundation to further study the adhesive functions of mouse salivary and uterine mucins in terms of their oligosaccharide receptors that mediate bacterial and leukocyte adhesion in both regions. In summary, these experiments will show whether similar or different carbohydrate receptors govern bacterial and leukocyte adhesion in the murine oral cavity and reproductive tract. In either case, this important information could be used to design novel therapies for the prevention or treatment of preterm labor and periodontal diseases. By carrying out this research plan and completing a program in Periodontology, the candidate will receive all the necessary training to become an independent investigator pursuing a research and teaching career in academic dentistry.
