Understanding Fibrin and Immune Cells in Gum Disease
Official title: Fibrin-neutrophil interaction in periodontitis immunopathology
Funded at Harvard Medical School · NIH-11160605 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how a protein called fibrin and immune cells called neutrophils work together in gum disease, especially in severe forms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $236,256 |
| NIH project number | 5R00DE030124-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11160605 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is particularly relevant for patients, especially adolescents, who experience severe forms of gum disease like ligneous periodontitis or aggressive common periodontitis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with mild gum inflammation or those whose gum disease is not related to fibrin deposition may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
Our mouths have immune responses that keep tissues healthy, but sometimes these responses go wrong and cause diseases like periodontitis, a severe gum disease. We are looking closely at a rare genetic condition called Plasminogen (Plg) deficiency, which causes a severe form of gum disease called ligneous periodontitis. In this condition, too much fibrin, a protein involved in clotting, builds up in the gums, leading to severe tissue and bone damage. We believe that understanding how fibrin interacts with immune cells like neutrophils in this severe form can help us understand and treat more common types of periodontitis. This work aims to uncover the exact ways these interactions lead to gum inflammation and bone loss.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to prevent or treat severe gum disease by targeting the interactions between fibrin and immune cells.
How similar studies have gone: While the general concept of immune responses in oral health is known, the specific mechanistic link between fibrin deposition and immunopathology in periodontitis is not yet fully understood, making this a novel area of focus supported by preliminary data.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Medical School
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Silva, Munasinghage Lakmali — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Silva, Munasinghage Lakmali
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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.