Led by Stephen Porter, we aim to improve the prevention, diagnosis and management of common highly-morbid disorders including dental caries, periodontal disease and chronic immunologically-mediated diseases of the oral mucosa by:
Developing/testing novel “SMART” antimicrobial self-regenerative materials (Case Study: SMART) for minimally invasive (no-drill, no-aerosol) dental restorations in children and adults (Young, Ashley).
Developing/testing synthetic antibodies and novel delivery systems with hybrid biodegradable molecularly-imprinted polymeric nanomaterial to target Streptococcus mutans infection, the main cause of dental caries (Poma, Spratt).
Developing/testing novel strategies for the replacement of bone and soft tissue loss in periodontal disease, including composite materials and autologous stem cells (Young, D’Aiuto)
Testing novel, radiation-free, optical diagnostics (e.g. Optical Coherence Tomography) for dental and periodontal disease (D’Aiuto).
Testing novel drug-delivery systems (mucosal adhesive patches loaded with corticosteroids) for the treatment of painful chronic disease of the oral mucosa (Fedele).
Investigating fundamental mechanisms of physiopathology and oral disease, in particular the role of the oral microbiome and mucosal immune system, with the aim of translating discoveries into biomarkers of disease progression and targets of novel interventions. For example we plan to explore the potential of oral microbiome manipulation in the prevention of dental caries and the treatment of chronic immunologically-mediated mucosal diseases (Smith, Spratt, D’Aiuto, Fedele).
Collaborating with the Computational Medicine Theme we will use Artificial Intelligence platforms available at the UCL/UCLH BRC to develop novel methods to assess routinely available radiographs to aid diagnosis and guide treatment of oral disease (D’Aiuto, Owaise).
Developing/validating, in close collaboration with patients and the public, patient-centred outcome measures for a range of oral diseases, so to ensure that the effects of the interventions are assessed using health outcomes that are most meaningful to patients. Examples include outcome measures for dry mouth, oral precancer (dysplasia), chroni facial pain, jawbone osteonecrosis, and other common dental disorders (e.g. periodontal disease) (Fedele, Porter, Tsakos, D’Aiuto).
