This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The success of orthodontic therapy is frequently limited by resistance to tooth movement imposed by extracellular matrix components, including collagen, in the gingival and periodontal ligament (PDL). Numerous nonclinical studies have demonstrated that parenterally administered relaxin can induce collagen remodeling in tissues in internal organs, such as the lung and kidney. These studies, as well as those conducted in vitro on isolated cells, have indicated that relaxin directly stimulates interstitial cells to secrete metalloproteinases that degrade matrix components. This understanding is central to the rationale that administration of relaxin via gingival injection can effect extracellular matrix changes locally in the gingival and PDL, thereby allowing for accelerated movement of teeth. The changes in the extracellular matrix may also minimize the relapse that frequently occurs after removal of orthodontic appliances.
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