Neutrophil and nerve interactions in painful dental pulp inflammation
Official title: Roles of neutrophil-sensory neuron interactions in dental pulp inflammation and pain
Funded at Boston University Medical Campus · NIH-11482326 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how neutrophils and sensory nerves interact to drive pain in pulpitis, with a focus on potentially better, less invasive ways to manage dental pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00DE033421-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11482326 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include people with dental pulp inflammation who could benefit from less invasive pain-management strategies in the future, pending translation.
✕Less likely to help
General populations without dental pulp inflammation are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Pulpitis causes severe tooth pain and often leads to costly procedures like root canals. The project explores how inflammation and nerve signaling inside the tooth and nearby tissues contribute to pain, using animal models and modern imaging and gene-expression techniques. Researchers will manipulate neutrophils, visualize nerve changes, and map transcriptional shifts to understand how immune cells influence pain signals. The work aims to uncover targets that could lead to more conservative treatments for dental pain in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could enable new pain-management approaches for pulpitis that reduce the need for invasive procedures.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that neuro-immune interactions can influence pain, supporting the potential for meaningful advances in this area.
Where this research is happening
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Boston University Medical Campus
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Erdogan, Ozge — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Erdogan, Ozge
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.