From Symbiosis to Dysbiosis: How Resolving Inflammation Could Restore Your Mouth’s Balance
Official title: From Symbiosis to Dysbiosis and Back: The Impact of Pro-Inflammation and Pro-Resolution
Funded at Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. · NIH-11621747 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how turning off the harmful inflammation in periodontitis and promoting natural healing could help restore the mouth’s healthy balance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Somerville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,999 |
| NIH project number | 4R00DE032048-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11621747 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with or at risk for periodontitis who could participate in studies involving inflammatory pathways and potential microbiome interactions.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without periodontitis or inflammatory oral conditions may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Periodontitis starts with bacteria in the mouth but becomes an inflammatory disease that disrupts the balance between gums and bacteria. The researchers are studying specialized pro-resolving mediators, like Resolvin-E1, to see if activating the body’s natural pathways can resolve inflammation and reestablish harmony in the gum microbiome. They will test this concept using models that activate Resolvin-E1 receptors to understand how early immune responses influence microbiome composition and function. The goal is to show that promoting resolution of inflammation can prevent or reverse periodontal dysbiosis and tissue damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to treat or prevent periodontitis by guiding the immune system to resolve inflammation naturally.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies using pro-resolving mediators in inflammatory models suggest promising signals for restoring tissue balance, but human-specific periodontal studies are still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
Somerville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yu, Ning — Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Yu, Ning
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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.