NIDR research digest

4 Pages·1998·0.28 MB·English

by  National Institute of Dental Research (U.S.)

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL RESEARCH
NIDR
Research Digest
FEBRUARY 1996
NIDR Awards Four Grants to Support Regional Research Centers
in Minority Oral Health
The NIDR has announced the Each of the new Regional Re¬ All four RRCMOHs were recipients
award of four grants to support search Centers in Minority Oral of the NIDR Phase I RRCMOH
Regional Research Centers in Health represents a partnership. grants, six of which were awarded
Minority Oral Health (RRCMOH). One of the partners is either a in 1992. The purpose of these
The centers will conduct research minority dental school or one that 3-year grants was to enable minor¬
on oral diseases and conditions serves a large minority population, ity dental schools or dental schools
prevalent among minority popula¬ and the other has proven expertise serving large minority populations
tions, and provide career develop¬ in the design and conduct of bio¬ to form the alliances and organiza¬
ment opportunities for minority medical and behavioral oral health tional structure necessary to
investigators. Together with supple¬ research. NIDR has encouraged compete for 5-year RRCMOH
mental funding from the National these “marriages” to promote awards.
Center for Research Resources, scientific collaboration and the
Northeastern Minority Orai Heaith
the program will provide a total of exchange of expertise.
Research Center
approximately $3 million per year
The four recipients of the new
for the 5-year period of funding. The Northeastern Minority Oral
RRCMOH awards, announced on
“It has long been acknowledged Health Research Center is a
September 30th, are: the University
that U.S. ethnic and racial minori¬ cooperative effort between the
of Medicine and Dentistry of New
ties have borne a disproportionate University of Medicine and Den¬
Jersey and the University of Con¬
share of diseases and mortality tistry of New Jersey- New Jersey
necticut School of Dental Medicine,
compared to their Caucasian Dental School and the University of
which have allied to form the
counterparts,” said NIDR Director Connecticut School of Dental
Northeastern Minority Oral Health
Harold Slavkin. “More distressing Medicine. Oral pathologists at the
Research Center; the University of
is the fact that a great many New Jersey Dental School each
California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
women and children are affected. year see several hundred cases of
School of Dentistry and the Charles
Funding of these Regional Re¬ oral cancer in minorities, and
R. Drew University of Medicine and
search Centers in Minority Oral several hundred cases of HIV-
Science; New York University
Health underscores our commit¬ infected minority children. By
College of Dentistry and Forsyth
ment to better serve minority teaming up with the University of
Dental Center, which have allied to
populations by conducting research Connecticut, they are expanding
form the Northeast Regional Center
on specific oral health problems their research expertise, particu¬
for Minority Oral Health; and
they face, by providing prevention, larly in the areas of epidemiology
Meharry Medical College and the
early diagnosis, and treatment, and and biostatistics. The North¬
University of Alabama in Birming¬
by learning more about the behav¬ eastern Minority Oral Health Re¬
ham. Two of the participating
ioral, social, and cultural factors search Center will implement four
institutions—Meharry Medical
that come into play in acceleration major projects, which include: the
College and the Charles R. Drew
of disease and in determining who investigation of intervention strate¬
University of Medicine and
will seek oral health care. At the gies to prevent dental caries—
Science—are receiving support for
same time, our aim is to provide especially severe infant caries—
career development opportunities
minority investigators with the among indigent minority children;
for minority faculty through the
opportunity to participate in NIH- the characterization and evaluation
Research Centers and Minority
NIDR funded biomedical and of the prevalence and causes of
Institutions Program that is
behavioral research, with the dental caries, periodontal diseases,
sponsored by the National Center
ultimate goal of increasing their
for Research Resources.
numbers in oral health research.” (continued on page 2)
(continued from page 1) clinical facilities that serve large collect data concerning oral health
and oral lesions in HIV-infected numbers of minorities in the Los care awareness among various
minority children, as well as improv¬ Angeles area. The RRCMOH will ethnic groups that will be used to
ing access to dental care for these undertake three core research develop a behavioral science
patients; determination of whether projects. One is an evaluation of research project. The center is also
a genetic basis exists, and is orofacial trauma treatment proto¬ strengthening the role of minority
accountable for, the difference in cols at the Martin Luther King, Jr./ investigators in research projects,
the incidence of oral and pharyn¬ Charles R. Drew Medical Center and providing minority faculty and
geal cancer in minority and majority (KDMC). Orofacial trauma dispro¬ students at NYUCD with career
populations; and determination of portionately affects minorities. The development opportunities in basic
why minority populations—and KDMC alone treats about 400 and clinical research. Efforts are
African-Americans in particular— orofacial trauma patients per under way to recruit minority under¬
have a greater reluctance to be¬ month; most are victims of vio¬ graduates into clinical dentistry and
come subjects in biomedical lence. Currently, there is a lack of oral health research aimed at
research studies. The center also consensus about surgical protocols meeting the needs of minorities.
will develop the ability of minority for these patients, and little evi¬
Meharry Medical College/
faculty to investigate the oral health dence of their effectiveness. The
University of Alabama
problems afflicting minorities, and second research project will de¬
further cultivate research design, velop measures for investigating Meharry Medical College and the
data management, and analysis the oral health status of African- University of Alabama in Birming¬
capabilities at the New Jersey American and Hispanic popula¬ ham have formed an alliance to
Dental School. tions, and compare their oral health conduct research on connective
status to their general health status. tissues and oral microbiology and
The University of California at Los Finally, researchers will conduct an increase the number of minority
Angeles (UCLA) School of ethnographic study looking at the dentists engaged in oral health
Dentistry and the Charles R. Drew
influence of cultural beliefs on the research. Faculty development
University of Medicine and
utilization of oral health care ser¬ opportunities are offered for
Science
vices by minority groups. minority dentists in a research
The UCLA/Drew Minority Oral project on the epidemiology of oral
Health Research Center has two The Northeast Regional Center for flora. Other plans call for the
Minority Oral Health
objectives: to identify and study the establishment of a core oral micro¬
oral health status of minority groups The New York University College of biology laboratory at Meharry, and
(with a special focus on the relation¬ Dentistry (NYUCD), which serves a a Center Development Core that
ship between oral and general large minority population, has com¬ includes a shared administrative
health), and to create minority re¬ bined with the research intensive infrastructure for minority oral
search career development oppor¬ Forsyth Dental Center in Boston, to health research. The schools will
tunities for faculty that will enable form the Northeast Regional Center enhance minority participation in
them to participate in collaborative for Minority Oral Health. Their oral health research by having
or independent research projects. research focus includes periodontal minority investigators conduct pilot
projects designed to generate
risk assessment, diagnosis, and
UCLA serves as the administrative competitive applications for extra¬
therapy; microbiology; saliva;
center of the RRCMOH. Most of mural support. These research
dental plaque in relation to caries
the research will take place at projects will focus on oral health
incidence and calculus formation;
extramural sites, including Drew problems affecting African-Ameri¬
and oral cancer. The center will
Medical Center and its associated can children and adults.
Children Risk injuries if they are not wearing Reports. “Even though protective
Orofacial Trauma protective face and mouth gear on devices for the face and mouth
the playing field. The reminder have been around for decades and
from Spotty Use of
comes after the release of the first have been shown to prevent injury,
Head and Mouth Gear national data that shows children we found that their use is spotty
do not consistently wear mouth¬ and varied except in football,” said
During Sports
guards and headgear during NIDR’s Ruth Nowjack-Raymer,
organized sports. The information RDH, MPH, the report’s lead author.
Dental experts are reminding was contained in a paper by NIDR The findings further suggest that
parents that children risk broken researchers, published in the although there are differences in
teeth and other dental and facial current issue of Public Health use of protective equipment by
race, grade level, and socioeco¬ poverty level wore headgear less Need for Rules and Education
nomic status, the differences are often than their more affluent peers.
Based on the findings, the authors
not consistent across all sports and Mouthguard use in baseball dif¬
say that enforcing rules and regula¬
are therefore not predictive of use. fered by race, with African Ameri¬
tions already on the books could
Injuries to the face and mouth can youngsters wearing protective
help decrease sports injuries. In
include facial bone fractures, bro¬ mouthguards more often than white
football, where rules are enforced,
ken and knocked out teeth, jaw children. High school students
kids are more likely to wear protec¬
joint injuries, concussion, blinding were more likely to wear mouth¬
tive equipment than in baseball,
eye injuries, permanent brain injury, guards than kids in elementary
where not all teams or leagues
and in rare cases, trauma that can school during baseball or softball.
require use of safety equipment or
result in death. Experts have not de¬ Almost 5 million youngsters play
only selected player positions are
termined exactly how many sports- soccer, the second most popular
covered by rules. During soccer, a
related orofacial injuries occur each sport among school-aged children,
sport in which rules for wearing
year, but it is estimated that almost according to the survey. Only 4
protective mouthguards are virtually
one-third of all dental injuries are percent of soccer players wore
nonexistent, children are much less
due to sports-related accidents. headgear and 7 percent wore
likely to wear them than youngsters
mouthguards all or most of the
Survey Results playing football or baseball.
time. Mouthguards were worn
The data on children and protective more often by high school athletes The researchers also suggested
gear were extracted from the 1991 than by elementary schoolchildren advising parents and coaches of
National Health Interview Survey playing soccer. the potential for injury during sports
(NHIS) conducted by the National and the importance of head and
In football, the third most popular
Center for Health Statistics. NIDR mouth protection. Educating
sport played by youngsters, nearly
researchers analyzed the answers coaches is particularly important,
three-fourths of children wore
of parents or guardians of 9,630 Nowjack-Raymer said, since
protective headgear and mouth¬
children aged 7 to 17 responding to research has shown that they
guards all or most of the time. “Part
questions about their children and greatly influence the behavior of
of the reason for the use of protec¬
sports. Data on the sample popula¬ their student-athletes.
tive equipment in football is rules
tion were used to estimate how
established in the early 1960s Another consideration in attempting
many of the approximately 38 million
requiring use of mouthguards and to increase the use of protective
school-aged children in the U.S.
headgear,” said Nowjack-Raymer. gear is product design. Mouthguards,
play certain sports and whether the
“Before that time, half of all football for example, must be engineered to
youngsters wear protective head-
injuries were to the mouth and face. be comfortable, functional, and able
gear and mouthguards. Included in
Now, facial and dental injuries to accommodate growing children’s
the survey were questions about
account for less than 2 percent mouths and orthodontic appliances,
baseball and softball, soccer, foot¬
of injuries in football.” the researchers noted.
ball, field or ice hockey, wrestling,
lacrosse, rugby, boxing, and karate High school players wore both The NIDR paper, “Use of Mouth¬
or judo. headgear and mouthguards more guards and Headgear in Organized
often than younger players during Sports by School-aged Children,”
An estimated 14 million schoolchil¬
football. Youngsters who lived appears in the January-February
dren play at least one of the listed
above the poverty level and those issue of Public Health Reports.
organized sports, with over one-
whose parents had more education
fourth of that group involved in two
were more likely than other children
or more sports activities, according
to wear headgear. —Mary Daum
to the authors. Baseball and soft-
ball are the most popular organized
NIDR Issues Request for Applications (RFA) on
children’s sports in the U.S. The
the Underlying Mechanisms of Oral
researchers reported that almost a
quarter of school-aged children play Complications of HIV Infection
some form of the national pastime.
The NIDR is seeking applications plans to allocate up to $2 million in
Differences Among Sports
for research projects on the mech¬ FY 96 to support at least
Among the youngsters who play anisms underlying oral manifesta¬ eight awards.
baseball or softball, 35 percent tions of HIV infection and the
The goal of this RFA is to encour¬
wear headgear and 7 percent wear development of strategies for
age basic research into the under-
mouthguards all or most of the preventing and treating HIV-related
time. Children at or below the oral problems. The Institute (continued on page 4)
(continuedfrompageS) grants management staff of the Dr. Linda Thomas
lying molecular and genetic mecha¬ NIDR Division of Extramural Re¬
Named Director of
nisms that promote the develop¬ search to ensure that their research
ment of oral complications associ¬ project objectives, structure, and NIDR's Craniofacial
ated with HIV infection and AIDS. budget format are acceptable. Development and
The RFA also encourages the I
Review Considerations Disorders Program
development of state-of-the-art
methods to manage these oral Major factors that will be considered
pathologies. A behavioral compo¬ in evaluating applications include Dr. Linda
nent to the RFA will assist in the scientific merit of the proposed Thomas has
understanding the role of lifestyle research project, the qualifications joined the
changes in preventing and reducing and research experience of the Division of
oral complications. principal investigator and staff, the Extramural
justification for requested resources, Research as
Research Needs
and the ability to recruit individuals director of the
While the NIDR currently supports from appropriate study populations Craniofacial
research projects to identify and (i.e. women, subpopulations of Development
treat the oral pathologies associ¬ minorities, and disabled individuals). and Disorders
ated with HIV infection and AIDS, Applicants may request up to five Program. She will oversee the
additional research is needed in years of support. The earliest research portfolio on craniofacial
several areas. Further studies are anticipated date of award is development and related disorders
required to characterize the genes September 30, 1996. that includes areas such as bone
and protein structures of inhibitory formation and remodeling; genetic
Further Information
salivary proteins; to elucidate the syndromes with orofacial manifes¬
molecular mechanisms by which Written and telephone inquiries tations; gene regulation; cell signal-
j
HIV or HIV-associated immunosup¬ regarding this RFA are encour¬ ling and migration; treatment of
I
pression affects the phenotypic aged. For further information, trauma; and the healing process.
variability and reactivation of fungi, contact: Dr. Eleni Kousvelari Prior to her appointment, she was a
bacteria, and viruses; to define the Division of Extramural Research j biologist in the Laboratory of
mechanisms of retrovirus infection National Institute of Dental Research i Developmental Biology (LDB) in
in exocrine tissues; to delineate the Natcher Building, Room 4AN-18A j NIDR's Division of Intramural
mechanisms of oral genetic factors Bethesda, MD 20892-6402 Research and a special assistant to
that mediate resistance or sensitiv¬ Telephone: [phone] the scientific director.
ity to infection and influence dis¬ FAX: [phone]
! Dr. Thomas is known for her work
ease progression; to investigate Email: kousvelari(5)de45.nidr.nih.gov
on craniofacial development and
oral mucosal immunity and HIV
the role of neural crest cells and is
infection, particularly the role of
credited with discovering the
cytokines in the deregulation of
phenomenon of contact-stimulated
SIgA production and transport; and
cell migration while working in LDB.
to develop and evaluate behavioral
and educational strategies that will
Her address at the NIDR is:
enhance early detection and pre¬
Dr. Linda Thomas, Director,
vention of the oral manifestations
Craniofacial Development and
of HIV infection.
Disorders Program,
Division of Extramural Research,
Application Procedures
Natcher Building, Room 4AN24J,
Prospective applicants should 45 Center Drive MSC 6402,
submit letters of intent to the NIDR Bethesda, MD 20892-6402.
by March 26, 1996. Applications Telephone: [phone];
are due April 26, 1996. Interested FAX: [phone];
applicants are encouraged to i E-mail: [email protected].
communicate with the program and
The NIDR Research Digest is published periodically by the National Institute of Dental Research, Its purpose is to communicate NIDR research findings
and other activities of interest to those working in the field of dental research.
Requests for additional information on NIDR or its programs may be addressed to: NIDR, Public Information and Reports Branch, Building 31, Room
2C35, 31 Center Dr. MSC 2290, Bethesda, MD 20892-2290. Telephone [phone].