Institute theme: Molecular Approaches to the Study of Oral Health & Disease Pathogenesis

This theme carries out work on the forefront of molecular biology, looking at the relationships between disease and its association with cell signaling and protein function. More specifically, their work is well known in areas of oral secretions, oral bacteria and biofilm formation, quorum sensing and signal transduction systems, bacterial exploitation of host cell cytoskeleton and signaling pathways, osteopontin (bone proteins) regulation, macrophage studies and innate immunity.

The activity emphasizes the basic sciences, making up 90% of the theme's program, and the remaining focus given to some applied and clinical work (10%). The group's strength has been their ability to attract significant levels of prestigious research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Canada and the National Institutes of Health in the USA.

G. Bradley *
Molecular and cellular alterations that underlie carcinogenesis. The role of alterations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in the development of oral cancer.

D. Cvitkovitch *
Molecular basis of acid tolerance in cariogenic streptococci. Environmental signals and the response of oral bacteria growing in biofilms.

B. Ganss *
Analysis of molecular mechanisms of cell differentiation in mineralized tissue formation at the level of gene transcription.