Speaker: Silvia Uriarte, University of Louisville, US
Host: Jan Oscarsson, UCMR PI
About the lecture:
Periodontitis is an irreversible, multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease that, in susceptible individuals, impacts the integrity of the tissues that surround and support the teeth, leading to tooth loss. Innate immune cells, such as neutrophils, are indispensable in periodontal immune surveillance, maintaining a homeostatic relationship with the indigenous oral microbial community. Despite their beneficial role in homeostasis, neutrophil responses towards the dysbiotic microbial community result in a dysregulated, non-resolving inflammatory response that drives disease progression. Advances in culture-independent techniques identified putative bacterial species in high abundance in periodontal lesions, such as two Gram-positive anaerobes, Filifactor alocis and Peptoanaerobacter stomatis. Our knowledge of the pathogenic potential of these putative periodontal pathogens, both in vitro and in vivo, is beginning to emerge.
This seminar will cover some of our latest findings on the interactions between neutrophils and these emerging microbes and discuss their contribution to disease progression.
Area of expertise:
Innate immunity. Silvia has a sustained interest in understanding the strategies deployed by bacterial pathogens to evade the host’s innate immune response. Understanding these interactions will lay the foundation for the development of novel therapeutic approaches to combat diseases such as periodontitis.
Integrated Biomedical Science Seminars is a broad, open seminar series within life science.