Regulation of bone resorption in periodontal disease

Funded Activity Summary

Periodontal disease is the most common disease involving bone loss in the world. We know little about the causes and how the disease develops. Some of the bacteria that live in the mouth are associated with the disease but the presence of these bacteria does not mean a person will have it. We do not know why some people suffer from the disease and others do not. Unfortunately when a person has periodontal disease the dentist has few choices in the way in which the patient is treated. There are no drugs presently available to treat this disease and surgical removal of the diseased tissue is the only option for treatment. Often after this treatment the disease continues to get worse and more bone is lost sometimes resulting in the loss of teeth. This study aims to understand how the disease causes the bone loss. We believe that some newly identified factors that regulate the cells which destroy bone are responsible. Our recently works show that these factors are present in abnormal levels in the diseased tissues of patients. We also wish to go further and try and find ways of treating the disease. We aim to find new treatments based on controlling the factors that regulate the cells that destroy bone .

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2004

End Date: 01-01-2006

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $258,500.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical physiology not elsewhere classified

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Bone pathology | Gingivitis | Osteoclastogenic factors | Osteoclasts | Osteoprotegerin | Periodontal disease | Tissue destruction | Vascular disease

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