How sex hormones shape the oral microbiome and health
Official title: Deciphering the role of sex hormones in host-microbiome interactions in the human oral mucosa
Funded at University of Massachusetts Lowell · NIH-11379976 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant explores how sex hormones influence the community of bacteria in the mouth and how that affects oral and overall health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Lowell NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lowell, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $433,125 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM160617-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379976 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People experiencing oral health issues or hormonal changes (e.g., menstruation, pregnancy, contraception) may be considered for related future studies.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without oral health concerns or hormonal influences may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how hormones that differ between sexes affect the interactions between gut? oral microbiome and the body, focusing on the buccal mucosa. They are building lab tools to understand how microbial metabolites, diet, and hormones interact during early dysbiosis to guide potential therapies. The work aims to uncover why sex differences exist in microbiome-related oral diseases and how treatments could be tailored to hormonal status. The project involves human-relevant studies and mechanistic work to connect hormones with oral health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could lead to sex-specific approaches for preventing and treating oral and systemic diseases linked to the oral microbiome.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows sex-biased microbiome interactions; this project advances mechanistic understanding in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Lowell, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghezzi, Chiara — University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Study coordinator: Ghezzi, Chiara
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.