How vitamin B12 helps the gum-disease bacterium survive
Official title: Cobalamin serves as a key redox-active mediator, protecting Porphyromonas gingivalis from oxidative stress.
Funded at University of Louisville · NIH-11506468 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Learning how vitamin B12 helps the bacteria that cause gum disease survive and become more harmful for people with periodontitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Louisville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Louisville, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2018 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $273,875 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM125504-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11506468 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic periodontitis or repeated gum infections are the patients most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People whose gum problems are not caused by periodontal bacteria or who have unrelated oral conditions may not receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers at the University of Louisville will study the gum-disease bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis in the lab to see how it takes up vitamin B12 through a transporter called Btu. They will make bacterial strains lacking the Btu transporter and expose them to oxidative stress (like hydrogen peroxide) to compare survival, biofilm formation, and production of harmful enzymes. The team will measure gene activity and virulence factors to map how B12 uptake changes bacterial behavior. This lab work could point to ways to block B12 uptake and weaken the bacteria that drive chronic periodontitis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new ways to prevent or treat gum disease by stopping bacteria from using vitamin B12 to survive and cause damage.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory work, including the investigators' preliminary data, shows vitamin B12 helps P. gingivalis survive oxidative stress and increase virulence, but translating this into patient treatments remains untested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Louisville
Louisville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghods, Shirin — University of Louisville
- Study coordinator: Ghods, Shirin
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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.