Associate Professor Awarded NIH Challenge Grant for Biomarker Research
Associate Professor Awarded NIH Challenge Grant for Biomarker Research(Boston) – Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Associate Professor of Periodontology & Oral Biology Dr. I. Alpdogan Kantarci is the recipient of a NIH Challenge Grant in
Associate Professor Awarded NIH Challenge Grant for Biomarker Research
(Boston) – Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Associate Professor of Periodontology & Oral Biology Dr. I. Alpdogan Kantarci is the recipient of a NIH Challenge Grant in Health and Science Research. The $406,000 grant will fund his research titled, “Saliva and Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers in Periodontitis: A Study in Older Women,” for a two-year period beginning October 1.
Dr. Kantarci’s research is a collaborative project with the University at Buffalo. The primary aim of the study will be to determine if it is possible to characterize serum levels of biomarkers using saliva. Saliva would provide a non-invasive method of assessing systemic inflammation, which has numerous potential applications.
The study will also develop prediction models for incident periodontal disease and for progression of existing disease, and search for common inflammatory biomarkers in periodontal disease and other chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis.
Dr. Kantarci is pleased to receive the funding and explained that the project specifically meets the goals set by the NIH for Challenge Grant recipients adding, “The majority of the saliva and serum samples have already been collected so it will be feasible to complete this study in 18 months, giving us time to write a comprehensive report on the findings and initiate new research projects. We will use new technologies, adopt epidemiological methods, and correlate biomarkers with clinical parameters in a large—approximately 1,000—cohort of patients, and be able to translate the acquired information directly to patient care.”
