Clearer dental plaque with safe tiny particles to help kids’ teeth
Official title: Cross-Kingdom Assemblage Clearance via Anionic Chondroitin Sulfate Nanohybrid Aggregates
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11454041 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A tiny, targeted treatment idea uses safe particles to help clear harmful plaque in young children to prevent early tooth decay.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 9, 2026 |
| Project end | July 8, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $320,660 |
| NIH project number | 1R03DE035552-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11454041 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children in the 0–5 age range at risk for early childhood caries, with access to dental care and parental consent.
✕Less likely to help
Children without elevated risk for ECC or without access to follow-up dental care may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on preventing early childhood caries by using specially designed CSA-CeO2 nanohybrid aggregates to target and reduce harmful biofilms formed by Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in preschoolers. It plans to test how these particles behave in dental plaque and how effectively they reduce plaque buildup with minimal toxicity. The approach emphasizes a child-friendly, targeted strategy that could complement or reduce reliance on traditional antimicrobials. If successful, this could lead to better oral health outcomes for children from higher-risk backgrounds.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to safer, more effective prevention of tooth decay in young children, reducing pain and dental costs for families.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows nanoparticles can reduce biofilms, but this specific CSA-CeO2 formulation for ECC is novel and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pesavento, Russell P — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Pesavento, Russell P
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.