Philadelphia — Dr. George Hajishengallis, Thomas W. Evans Centennial Professor in Penn Dental Medicine’s Department of Microbiology, has received a MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue to build on his research in the areas of inflammation and periodontal disease. The highly selective MERIT Awards are designed to give stable, long-term […]

“Periodontitis, a gum disease present in nearly half of all adults in the United States, involves inflammation, bleeding and bone loss. In its severe form, it is associated with systemic inflammatory conditions such as atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Few treatment options exist beyond dental scaling and root planing, done in an attempt to reduce plaque and inflammation.” Click here for […]

“Periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease, doesn’t just cause soft-tissue inflammation and bleeding. It also destroys the bone that supports the teeth. If it progresses unchecked, it can lead to tooth loss and is even associated with systemic inflammatory conditions like atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. A new study led by University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine researchers demonstrates that a protein […]

“Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania Dental School have discovered a protein that prevents a common form of gum disease and might one day help patients suffering from osteoporosis or other bone-loss diseases. Nearly half of Americans have periodontitis, a type of gum disease that includes inflammation and bone loss in the sockets surrounding the teeth. In extreme cases, patients […]

“Nearly half of the U.S. adult population suffers from periodontitis, a form of chronic gum disease. Bacteria are responsible causing inflammation and eventually bone loss, and in the worst cases, even affecting overall health. A treatment for this prevalent disease could benefit millions of people. With a recent finding, researchers George Hajishengallis of Penn’s School of Dental Medicine and John […]

“In a new study, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) have discovered that a protein previously shown to treat gum disease also blocks relapses in mice with a condition similar to multiple sclerosis (MS). The leap from experimenting on gum disease to investigating the effects of this protein, called Del-1, on MS came when researches realized that it plays […]

“George Hajishengallis, a professor of microbiology in the School of Dental Medicine, spends most of his professional energy on research that concerns the mouth; specifically, he studies a severe form of gum disease called periodontitis. But, as he notes, “the mouth is not an isolated entity.”  In a paper published this week in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, his work has found application […]

“In multiple sclerosis, the immune system goes rogue, improperly attacking the body’s own central nervous system. Mobility problems and cognitive impairments may arise as the nerve cells become damaged. In a new study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and co-investigators have identified a key protein that is able to reduce the severity of a disease equivalent to MS in mice. This […]

“The vast majority of microbes that live in and on our bodies do not put our health at risk, but many can cause prob- lems if their populations grow out of control. So the immune system keeps numbers in check, culling resident bac- teria here and there. A few microbial species have found ways to sabotage the immune system and […]

“The vast majority of microbes that live in and on our bodies do not put our health at risk, but many can cause problems if their populations grow out of control. So the immune system keeps their numbers in check, culling resident bacteria here and there. A few microbial species have found ways to sabotage the immune system and skew the […]