How dental plaque structure may trigger gum disease
Official title: Biofilm Spatial Structure in the Transition from Health to Periodontal Disease
Funded at State University of New York at Albany · NIH-11397657 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are comparing the arrangement and activity of bacteria in plaque from adults with healthy gums, gingivitis, and periodontitis to learn how plaque changes can start gum disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Albany NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $45,112 |
| NIH project number | 3R01DE031213-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397657 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with healthy gums, gingivitis, or chronic periodontitis who can donate extracted teeth or plaque samples would be ideal candidates for participation.
✕Less likely to help
People needing immediate clinical treatment or those who cannot or will not provide tooth or plaque samples are unlikely to see direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project will look at the precise layout of bacteria on extracted teeth and at the gum margin using special fluorescent probes that mark different species. Scientists will compare plaque from adults with healthy gums, gingivitis, and chronic periodontitis and will also examine similar samples from dogs to find shared harmful structures. They will map where specific genes are turned on inside long filament-like bacteria when those cells touch particular partners in the plaque. The overall goal is to link physical plaque architecture with the start of inflammation that leads to gum disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new ways to prevent or treat gum disease by targeting the harmful plaque structures that trigger inflammation.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows that Porphyromonas gingivalis can drive inflammation and that imaging can identify bacteria in plaque, but combining high-resolution spatial mapping with gene-expression mapping in intact biofilms is a newer approach with limited prior clinical application.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valm, Alex M — State University of New York at Albany
- Study coordinator: Valm, Alex M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Precision nanomedicine to calm inflammation and protect bone in gum disease
A new, targeted nanomedicine approach aims to reduce gum inflammation and prevent bone loss in adults with periodontal disease.
-
Biofilm structure and its role in the start of gum disease
A researchers team will study how tiny communities of bacteria at the gumline interact with the mouth’s tissues to spark inflammation that leads from healthy gums to periodontal disease.
-
Xylitol to Prevent Periodontal Disease and Preterm Birth in Pregnancy and Early Childhood
A safe, inexpensive chewable gum approach using xylitol is tested to help pregnant people reduce gum disease and lower the chance of preterm birth and related child health problems.
-
Periodontal Health in Newborns: Reducing Small Vulnerable Newborn Deaths in Nepal
A large study in Nepal will test whether a simple oral care package started in early pregnancy can lower the risk of tiny, high-risk newborns dying in their first month.
-
Gingival keratinocyte ferroptosis in periodontal disease pathogenesis
A study exploring how iron-related cell death in gum cells may drive gum disease and bone loss in periodontitis, and what this could mean for future treatments.
-
Periodontal health and dementia risk in a large health system
A large health system will study whether gum disease and its treatment relate to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias over time.
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.