Director's Report to Council: June 2005

ACTIVITIES OF THE NIDCR DIRECTOR

Since the last meeting of the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council, NIDCR Director Lawrence Tabak spoke at a briefing on Capitol Hill, held meetings with congressional and legislative staff, and delivered presentations about the NIH Roadmap and NIDCR initiatives at international and national meetings of dental and biomedical research organizations. He also continued to co-chair the NIH Information Technology Working Group and to serve on the NIH Steering Committee that oversees governance issues at NIH.

On February 17, at the invitation of Reps. Michael Castle (R-DE) and Diane DeGette (D-CO), Dr. Tabak and NIDCR-supported researchers participated in a stem cell briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by the American Association for Dental Research, the American Dental Association, and the American Dental Education Association. The briefing covered the significance of recent advances in post-natal stem cell biology and the development of new techniques in restoring form and function of the orofacial complex. About 50 legislative assistants attended the briefing. Dr. Tabak opened the session by highlighting the prevalence of dental and craniofacial abnormalities, their impact on quality of life, and the need for better ways to restore structure and function. Following his presentation, Dr. Pamela Gehron Robey, chief of the NIDCR Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch, and NIDCR grantees Drs. Mary MacDougall, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and Paul Krebsbach, University of Michigan, spoke about potential sources of adult stem cells (including human exfoliated deciduous [SHED] teeth), the types of tissues that stem cells can form, and different approaches that can be used to regenerate dental and supporting tissues lost to disease and trauma. The session ended with a discussion by Dr. Jonathan Schuermann, previous Ad Hoc member to the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council, about the impact that dental advances have had on his life. Dr. Schuermann was born with ectodermal dysplasia and has dental implants; he looks forward to being a beneficiary of future advances in dental engineering.

At the request of Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Dr. Tabak met with Minority Staff Director David Bowen and staff member Ravi Sawhney on February 8. He also spoke to Rep. Sanford Bishop’s (D-GA) Legislative Director, Roger Manno, about recent findings in dental research.

In March, Dr. Tabak attended the meeting of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), and in May addressed the IADR National Advisory Council. Later that same month, he went to the Netherlands where he gave a presentation on “Saliva: From Basic Research to Clinical Application” at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) 3^rd International Symposium. Via videoconference, he presented a lecture on the “NIH Roadmap for Interdisciplinary Research Teams of the Future” in April to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD, based in Paris, held an International Workshop on Changing Supply and Demand for Science and Technology Professionals in a Globalized Economy. He also spoke about NIDCR initiatives and scientific priorities at the American Dental Education Association’s (ADEA) Dean’s Leadership Conference, held in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together deans of U.S. dental schools and other ADEA members to discuss issues of importance in dental education and research.
Dr. Tabak’s other activities included attending the Editorial Board meeting for the Journal of Biological Chemistry; attending the ADA Council of Scientific Affairs meeting in Chicago; and delivering a presentation on the NIH Roadmap initiative at a session on “Globalization of Science: Constructing the Future” during the American Physical Society’s Forum on International Physics in Tampa, FL. He attended the meeting of Harvard University School of Dental Medicine’s Board of Fellows and delivered the commencement address at Temple University School of Dentistry’s 141st commencement in May.

The NIDCR Director was interviewed by the International College of Dentists for their “Outstanding Leaders Series” and also did an interview on “Have You Considered a Career in Oral Health Research?” for Keepsake, a magazine that has a large distribution at minority and minority-serving institutions. In addition, the NIDCR Director collaborated with Dr. Bruce Pihlstrom, acting director of the Division of Clinical Research and Health Promotion, on the submission of the cover article for the June 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. The article, entitled “Research for the Practicing Dentist,” discusses the new NIDCR initiative in general practice-based research. It also highlights NIDCR-supported research in restorative dentistry, oral and systemic disease, stem cell research, salivary diagnostics, gene transfer therapy, and pain, and implications for the practice of dentistry.

ACTIVITIES OF THE ACTING NIDCR DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Dr. Henning Birkedal-Hansen, acting deputy director, continued to guide the development of the Implementation Plan for the NIDCR Strategic Plan by conducting working groups in key research areas. In January, working groups were held on Salivary Research; Sjogren's Syndrome, and on Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials, Nanotechnology, Industrial Relations. In March, working groups were conducted on AIDS, Pharmacogenetics/Pharmacokinetics, and AIDS Research, followed in April by meetings of the Behavioral and Social Science Research and Health Disparities Research working groups. Preparatory work for the development of the Implementation Plan will be completed with a one-day Research Training meeting on June 9. All of these activities will then be reported to Council on June 10.

At the annual IADR meeting in March, Dr. Birkedal-Hansen represented the NIDCR at a meeting of the deans and associate deans for research and discussed a number of NIDCR initiatives. He also served on a technical review committee for the NIH Director's Pioneer Award and provided introductory remarks at the annual meeting of the patient advocacy groups held on May 18 (see p. 12).

The acting deputy director represented NIDCR at the Combined Federal Campaign Award ceremony on February 28. The Institute again this year exceeded its goal and was lauded for the generosity of its staff.

ACTIVITIES OF THE CHIEF DENTAL OFFICER, USPHS

Since the last Council meeting, RADM. Dushanka Kleinman was involved in numerous professional and public health activities. She continued to oversee the activities of the Dental Category of the US PHS Commissioned Corps and worked with the Surgeon General on issues related to oral health and the ongoing transformation of the Corps. Proposals for the management of the Corps are under review by the Secretary, DHHS. Recruitment and retention of officers to serve in underserved areas, especially in the Indian Health Service, remains a challenge.

The PHS now plays an integral part in the annual Federal Services Dental Educators Conference (FSDE). PHS representatives at this year’s meeting, held January 26-28 in San Antonio, TX, included CAPT Jim Lipton, CAPT Ray Lala, HRSA, CAPT Robert Selwitz, NIDCR, and Dr. Mary Beth Kinney, formerly in the Indian Health Service. The conference charge was to produce an optimized model on education by the federal services for the various dental specialties (including general dentists who completed AGD, AEGD, GPR; and hospital dentistry, oral medicine, and orofacial pain residencies). Dr. Kinney spoke about continuing dental education programs offered by the Indian Health Service (IHS) and began discussions with the U.S. Army for their dental officers to participate in the future. CAPT Lipton met with representatives from the U.S. Navy dental corps to begin discussions for the potential assignment of Navy dentists trained in pediatric dentistry or Public health to PHS sites, primarily in the IHS.

The PHS hosted Professor Raman Bedi, Chief Dental Officer of England and members of his immediate staff in February and in May. PHS programs of relevance to those of England were discussed. Professor Bedi delivered a presentation to the May PHS Oral Health Coordinating Committee meeting where he focused on reform of the National Health Service (NHS) system, developments in dental education, oral health status in England, proposed plans to improve oral health and access to NHS dental care, and increasing capacity of NHS dentistry.

During the past few months, Dr. Kleinman attended the meeting of the ADA Council on Government Affairs in February, in Washington, D.C.; represented the Surgeon General at a CEO seminar on health systems and health information networks in March, in Washington, D.C.; participated as a delegate from the U.S. Public Health Service at the Annual Session of the American Dental Education Association, March 5-9 in Baltimore, MD; and presented the keynote address on behalf of Surgeon General Richard Carmona to the Delta Dental Plan Public Policy Forum held in April in Washington, D.C. RADM Kleinman also participated in the 2005 National Oral Health Conference held April 30-May 4 in Pittsburgh, PA where she presented “Improving Access to Care: Finding Common Ground” at the opening plenary session. At that conference, Dr. Kleinman was named the 2005 recipient of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry Distinguished Service Award for excellence and distinguished service to public health dentistry. In May, Dr. Kleinman received the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award, which is given for outstanding success and national or international distinction in the individual’s chosen profession or life’s work. A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, Dr. Kleinman received the award during the College of Dentistry Commencement ceremony and delivered the commencement address.

BUDGET UPDATE

FY 2005
Including the effect of Department-wide reductions, NIDCR’s appropriation is $391.8 million. Of this amount, $2.5 million is reserved to fund NIH Roadmap projects, leaving $389.4 million to support NIDCR activities. This translates to a 1.9 percent increase over the comparable FY 2004 level. Research project grant funding would be increased to $235.1 million to support an estimated 679 awards. The research centers program would be maintained at 7 awards, and an estimated 87 RCDA awards and 346 full-time training positions would be funded.

FY 2006
President’s Budget
The FY 2006 President’s budget request for the NIDCR is $393.3 million, including $3.5 million for support of NIH Roadmap projects. The request represents an increase of $1.44 million--or 0.4 percent--over the FY 2005 appropriation of $391.8 million. The FY 2006 President’s budget request for the NIH is $28.7 billion, an increase of $146 million--or 0.5 percent--over the FY 2005 estimate.
Exclusive of Roadmap-associated funding, the FY 2006 request for NIDCR provides support for an estimated 186 competing RPGs and 495 non-competing RPGs--a total of 681 awards. The FY 2006 request includes funding for 7 research centers. NIDCR will support approximately 87 Research Career Development Award (RCDA) awards and 344 full-time training positions.
See NIDCR’s Congressional Justification narrative. 

Budget Hearings
The Fiscal Year 2006 House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on NIH’s budget request was held on March 9; the Senate hearing was held April 6. At both the House and Senate hearings, Dr. Zerhouni testified on behalf of the entire NIH.
See the NIDCR Director’s Statement for the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees. 

HHS/NIH/NIDCR UPDATE

HHS Secretary Issues 500-Day Plan
HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt released his action plan for the department, entitled the “500-Day Plan.” According to Leavitt, the plan is “a personal expression of many of my priorities as secretary.” The plan covers a list of actions he plans to take during the next 500 days to help achieve the long-range goals that he envisions will take 5,000 days (or approximately 14-years), including: Transform the Health Care System; Modernize Medicare and Medicaid; Advance Medical Research; Secure the Homeland; Protect Life, Family and Human Dignity; and Improve the Human Condition Around the World. The Secretary will update his plan every 200 days. Under “Advance Medical Research,” he plans to concentrate on four short-term goals. First is creating an integrated electronic network of privacy-protected population data, genetic information and medical records to accelerate discoveries that will define an individual’s risk of disease, response to treatment and likelihood of a side effect. Echoing one aspect of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, Leavitt’s second short-term goal is to build interdisciplinary research teams. His third goal also dovetails with the NIH roadmap by “improving the clinical research network.” Such improvements will advance better prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Finally, as part of this goal, Secretary Leavitt plans to implement a comprehensive plan for obesity research that will maximize collaboration among HHS stakeholders.

2005 Global Health Summit
Surgeon General Richard Carmona is convening a 2005 Global Health Summit on June 5 as a Call to Action for Global Health. The primary purpose of the summit is to seek individual and organizational input to assist in the development of the Call to Action on Global Health and to seek advice on needed collaborative action by national and international stakeholders in advancing the health of the citizens of the world community. Members of the dental community have prepared testimony and will be in attendance.

2005 Public Health Professional Conference
The 2005 Public Health Professional Conference will be held June 6-10 in Philadelphia following the Global Health Summit (see above). Highlights of the dental category day include panel presentations on USPHS Force Readiness, international dental public health, and the National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health. Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, was selected as this year’s Surgeon General David Satcher Keynote speaker. She will discuss the linkage between oral infection and systemic disease with an emphasis on the public health implications of treating oral disease.

US Surgeon General’s Family History Initiative
The Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services have launched a national public health campaign that shows citizens how to use genealogical information to become better informed about their health. Health care professionals have known for a long time that common diseases - heart disease, cancer, and diabetes - and even rare diseases - like hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia - can run in families. If one generation of a family has high blood pressure, it is not unusual for the next generation to have similarly high blood pressure. The U.S. Surgeon's General's Family History Initiative aims to raise awareness of hereditary diseases and risk factors by teaching families how to do their "medical family tree." Included is a computer program that helps individuals track their family’s medical history.

NIH Makes ‘Public Access’ Effective May 2
NIH has made official its intent to create an online public archive of the research it funds. On May 2, the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central began hosting an electronic, searchable database of peer-reviewed journal articles funded by NIH money. NIH-funded investigators are being asked—not required--to post their manuscripts to PubMed Central so that citizen-taxpayers will have free access to the work their money has purchased.

NIH Roadmap Initiatives

• Notice of Limited Competition Request for Applications: Nanomedicine Development Centers
  

Cancellation: Planning Grants for Regional Translational Research Centers
NIH has cancelled RFA-RM-05-008, "Regional Translational Research Center Planning Grants," which was released in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on October 1, 2004. Through discussions with deans of academic health centers and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, NIH recognizes that a broader re-engineering effort that incorporates and builds upon the strengths of the RTRC concept would create greater opportunity to catalyze the development of a new discipline of clinical and translational sciences. A meeting was held on May 23 in Arlington, VA to discuss NIH's new direction to enhance the discipline of clinical and translational research and re-engineer the clinical research enterprise.  See additional information about the clinical and translational research meeting.

NIDCR to Hold Meeting on Research Training: Developing An Implementation Plan for the NIDCR Strategic Plan
On June 9, NIDCR will hold a meeting on research training, an important component in the ongoing development of an Implementation Plan for the NIDCR Strategic Plan. Training of both basic and clinical scientists is a crosscutting area that affects many institutes, academic, public and private organizations and agencies. The NIDCR Meeting on Research Training will focus on what the NIDCR can learn from the experiences of other institutes, agencies, and organizations that can then be applied to the development and refinement of a training portfolio for basic and clinical oral health research. Attendees at the meeting will include U.S. and Canadian training directors, dental school deans, associate deans for research, and representatives from the American Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, the American Association for Dental Research, the National Dental Association, and the Hispanic Dental Association.

NIDCR Awards Grants for New Practice-Based Initiative
NIDCR has awarded three grants, totaling $75 million, that establish regional “practice-based” research networks to investigate with greater scientific rigor “everyday” issues in the delivery of oral healthcare. NIDCR awarded the three seven-year grants to: New York University, which will oversee the East Coast research network; the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which will work jointly with the University of Florida in Gainesville to coordinate studies in the South; and the University of Washington in Seattle, which together with the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland will operate the network in the West. Each regional network will conduct approximately 15 to 20 short-term clinical studies over the next seven years, comparing the benefits of different dental procedures, dental materials, and prevention strategies under a range of patient and clinical conditions. The networks also will perform anonymous chart reviews, as allowed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), to generate data on disease, treatment trends, and the prevalence of less common oral conditions.

Dr. Charles N. Serhan to Deliver 2005 NIDCR Seymour J. Kreshover Lecture
Dr. Charles N. Serhan, Director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School, will deliver the 2005 NIDCR Seymour J. Kreshover Lecture on Friday, September 23. The lecture will take place at 3:30 p.m. in the Lipsett Amphitheater in Building 10 on the NIH campus. The title of Dr. Serhan’s lecture is, “The Role of Novel Anti-Inflammatory and Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators in Oral Inflammation and Resolution." Dr. Serhan is internationally recognized for his studies on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of inflammation and the biochemistry of blood cells. Recently he has discovered that the “resolution” of acute inflammation is an active process, something that was not recognized earlier. By understanding the cellular and biochemical pathways involved in resolution and anti-inflammation, the aim is to better control the level of inflammation, its duration, and pain associated with a wide range of diseases and injuries.

Elizabeth Nabel Named NHLBI Director
Elizabeth Nabel, M.D., previously scientific director for clinical research at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), has been appointed NHLBI Director. She assumed her new position on February 1.

Antonio Scarpa Named Director, NIH Center for Scientific Review
On March 21, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni named Antonio Scarpa, M.D., Ph.D., to be Director of the NIH Center for Scientific Review. Dr. Scarpa chairs the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. He will join NIH on July 1.

Judith Vaitukaitis Steps Down as NCRR Director
Judith Vaitukaitis, M.D., announced that she is stepping down from her position as Director of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) to begin working with Dr. Zerhouni as his senior advisor on scientific infrastructure and resources. Barbara Alving, M.D., who was deputy director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and director of the Women’s Health Initiative, is serving as acting director of NCRR while a search is conducted for a new permanent director of the Center.

SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES

Study Finds Direct Association Between Cardiovascular Bacteria and Periodontal Disease
Researchers report that older adults who have higher proportions of four periodontal-disease-causing bacteria inhabiting their mouths also tend to have thicker carotid arteries, a strong predictor of stroke and heart attack. The study, published in February in Circulation, was supported by four NIH agencies--the NIDCR, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Center for Research Resources. According to the authors, these data mark the first report of a direct association between cardiovascular disease and bacteria involved in periodontal disease, which affects to varying degrees an estimated 200 million Americans. But the researchers say the findings are not proof that the bacteria cause cardiovascular disease, directly or indirectly. Because the 657 people in the study had their oral bacteria and carotid thickness evaluated at the same point in time, it is not possible to know which comes first, the periodontal disease or thickening of the carotid artery. The answer to that question is fundamental to establishing causality--in this case, whether chronic inflammation or infection could have led to the atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries. This information may come soon, however, since participants will be re-examined in less than three years. A that point, the researchers can better evaluate the progression of the atherosclerosis and, hopefully, begin to establish a time frame underlying the diseases. The authors on the study are Drs. Moise Desvarieux, Ryan Demmer, Tatjana Rundek, Bernadette Boden-Albala, David R. Jacobs, Jr., Ralph L. Sacco, and Panos Papapanou at the University of Minnesota and Columbia University.

New Lead in Salivary Diagnostics
Although the DNA double helix in the cell nucleus grabs all of the attention, there is another type of genetic material in our cells. It’s the DNA of our energy-generating mitochondria, and scientists have discovered in recent years that alterations in mitochondrial DNA occur in several types of tumors linked to smoking, including head and neck cancer. Building on this earlier work, a team of NIDCR grantees and colleagues hypothesized that people with oral squamous cell carcinoma may have elevated levels of mitochondrial DNA in their saliva, and this elevation would be independent of other possible contributing factors, such as age and how often one smokes. To test this hypothesis, the scientists evaluated levels of two mitochondrial DNA genes called Cox I and Cox II in the saliva of 94 people with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 656 healthy volunteers. As reported in the April 1 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, they found Cox I and Cox II levels were on average significantly higher in those with head and neck cancer, and this difference was independent of other contributory factors. The authors speculated that in the cancer patients, their primary tumors might shed their own increased levels of mitochondrial DNA into the saliva. The research was conducted by W.W. Jiang, B. Masayesav, M. Zahurak, A.L. Carvalho, E. Rosenbaum, E. Mambo, S. Zhou, K. Minhas, N. Benoit, W.H. Westra, A. Alberg, D. Sidransky, W. Koch, and J. Califano at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Cancer Division, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

Further Preclinical Progress in Salivary Gland Gene Transfer
Each year, more than 35,000 Americans receive radiation therapy to treat head and neck cancer. Although the radiation is helpful in thwarting the tumor, it can also inadvertently damage salivary glands, causing a marked reduction in the patient’s salivary flow. For several years, a group of NIDCR scientists has been developing a strategy to efficiently transfer a gene into irradiated salivary glands in hopes of supplementing or fully restoring salivary production in these patients. In their initial animal studies, the scientists transferred genetic material encoding the well-characterized water channel protein, human aquaporin-1, into the salivary glands of rats that had been exposed to radiation four months earlier and restored near normal salivary flow. Follow-up studies in rhesus monkeys, however, led to equivocal results, raising concerns about the clinical potential of aquaporin-1 gene transfer in people. Recently, the NIDCR scientists and their colleagues in China evaluated the human aquaporin-1 gene transfer strategy in another large, well-characterized animal model, the miniature pig. As posted in the journal Molecular Therapy, they found the gene transfer significantly increased salivary secretion without causing significant side effects. The research was carried out by Drs. B. J. Baum, R. B. Wellner, C. M. Goldsmith, and C. Zheng in the NIDCR Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch and Drs. Z. Shan, J. Li, X. Liu, Z. Fan, C. Zhang, and S. Wang at the Salivary Gland Disease Center and Molecular Laboratory for Gene Therapy, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing, Peoples’ Republic of China.

Advance in Genetics of Cleft Lip and Palate
Cleft lip and/or palate remains one of the most common birth defects in the world. It occurs when the sides of the face fuse abnormally in a developing baby, resulting in a malformed lip and/or roof of the mouth. Although clefts can be repaired to varying degrees with multiple surgeries, researchers have long pursued a more detailed understanding of the developmental process to learn how to prevent the condition or more efficiently treat it. Toward this end, scientists have compiled a growing list of genes and their protein products that, when altered, play a role in causing clefts. In the March 15 issue of the journal Development, NIDCR grantees and colleagues report the discovery of two genes that are likely to be involved in human clefting. The genes are: Bmp4, a member of the so-called bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) family that regulate intercellular communication during fetal development, and Bmpr1a, the receptor for the Bmp4 protein. The scientists also report that Bmp signaling in general has distinct functions in forming the lip and secondary palate. In the lip, the Bmp signaling seems to act as a survival signal to influence the timing of programmed cell death. In the secondary palate, Bmp signaling regulates the proliferative capacity of cells that are destined to form the roof of the mouth. Researchers on the study were W. Liu, X. Sun, A. Braut, Y. Mishina, R. R. Behringer, M. Mina, and J. F. Martin at the Texas A & M System Health Science Center.

Immune Mechanism Discovered
Cytokines are a unique family of growth factors that are secreted primarily by immune cells called leukocytes to mount a protective response against invading pathogens. Of the many cytokines in the human body, one of the most actively studied is tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a). In the April 5 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of NIDCR grantees led by Salomon Amar discovered a protein called LPS-induced STAT6(B) that directly interacts with the so-called LITAF protein, forming a two-protein complex that relocates to the cell nucleus and regulates the transcription of TNF-a and other cytokines. This important mechanistic discovery will offer fresh insights into how the faulty transcription of certain cytokine genes might play a role in many immune disorders, including periodontal disease and atherosclerosis. Dr. Amar’s colleagues on the study were X. Tang, D. L. Marciano, and S. E. Leeman at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine.

Measuring Toughness of Dentin-Enamel Junction
Nature has brilliantly engineered our teeth to transfer mechanical stresses, such as chewing, to a thin, supportive region below the surface of the tooth, where our bony dentin and rigid enamel meet. This biologically complex region, known formally as the dentin-enamel junction, or DEJ, has captured the interest of dental researchers in hopes of better characterizing its stress-resistant capacity and unique ability to halt developing cracks in the outer enamel from spreading throughout the tooth and causing fractures. Despite the long-term research interest, largely missing from the scientific literature has been a comprehensive and technologically sophisticated analysis of structural variations and stress resistance across the DEJ, information of great benefit to the dental community. As published in the March issue of the journal Nature Materials, NIDCR grantees and colleagues provide this broad structural analysis and, based on their data, provide a new estimate on the toughness of the DEJ, characterizing the region as up to 10 times tougher than enamel but 75 percent less tough than dentin. They also conclude that a tooth's ability to stop the spread of cracks resides in the mantle dentin itself, not the DEJ. The investigators who conducted the study were V. Imbeni, J. J. Kruzic, G. W. Marshall, S. J. Marshall, and R. O. Ritchie at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley.

Study Suggests Why Eating Salmon Might Be Good for You
Most Americans have listened to news stories extolling the anti-inflammatory health benefits of a diet rich in oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, and their constituent polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids. But left unanswered in these reports is how omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease, periodontitis, arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions. As published in the March 7 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, NIDCR grantees and colleagues reported they have discovered that our bodies break down omega-3 fatty acids to yield important byproducts called resolvins, a newly discovered class of dietary fat. The scientists found that the subtype resolvin E1 in particular helps to stop the migration of certain immune cells to sites of inflammation, thereby modulating the severity of the immune response and reducing the risk of serious disease. Previously, the researchers found that aspirin also seems to prompt our bodies to produce resolvins, and, in this current study, they show that people who took low doses of aspirin and consumed dietary omega-3 fatty acids had measurable levels of resolvin E1 in their bloodstream. The scientists say they now are trying to develop larger scale synthetic versions of resolvin E1 for future studies and possibly one day for use in people. The research, which took place at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, was carried out by Drs. M. Arita, F. Bianchini, J. Aliberti, A. Sher, N. Chiagn, S. Hong, R. Yang, N. A. Petasis, and C. N. Serhan. Dr. Serhan will be the 2005 NIDCR Seymour J. Kreshover speaker.

MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS

41^st Annual Dental Students’ Conference on Research
On April 11, approximately 50 dental students selected by their deans from dental schools across the U.S. and Canada, traveled to the NIDCR to participate in the 41st Annual American Dental Association Dental Students’ Conference on Research. The conference was hosted by the NIDCR and sponsored by the ADA through the ADA Foundation with the support of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

The students spent an informative day on the NIH campus learning about oral health research and research training opportunities. The morning session included a welcome from NIDCR Director Lawrence Tabak, followed by presentations by Dr. Michael Lynch, Director, Clinical Research, Pfizer; and Dr. Robert Collins, Deputy Executive Director, IADR/AADR. Talks were also given by Dr. Bruce Baum, chief, NIDCR Gene Transfer and Technology Branch, on “Why Research Matters to Dental Students;” Dr. Bruce Pihlstrom, acting director, NIDCR Division of Clinical Research and Health Promotion, on “Design and Conduct of Clinical Research;” and Dr. Jane Atkinson, deputy clinical director, NIDCR Clinical Research Core, on “Clinical Research Conducted at the NIDCR.”

The students also toured NIDCR laboratories and learned about the facilities and research opportunities available to them through NIH programs. The afternoon session focused on pain, salivary, bone metastasis, and mouse transgenic research, as well as extramural and intramural research career opportunities.

Patient Advocates Forum
NIDCR hosted its sixth annual Patient Advocates Forum on May 18 on the NIH campus. The conference welcomed 18 patient advocates representing 15 organizations with a shared interest in the oral health effects of their respective disorders and conditions. Participants were updated on NIDCR activities, as well as three initiatives that hold direct benefit to the public: the new NIH Public Access Policy, the NIH Public Trust Initiative, and the Surgeon General’s Family History Initiative. The advocates also visited Building 30, where staff scientists spoke about research in chronic pain, adult stem cells, taste, salivary gland gene therapy, and facial imaging as a diagnostic tool, followed by laboratory tours.

NIDCR Sponsors Grants Workshop for Tenure-Track or Recently Tenured Dental School Faculty
NIDCR sponsored a workshop for newly tenured dental faculty April 18-19 on the NIH campus. The workshop was aimed specifically at new faculty with no NIH grants experience. NIDCR viewed this workshop as an investment in both individual faculty members and the dental schools’ research infrastructure. More than 120 participants from 46 different U.S. dental schools attended the workshop. Participants were given an overview of NIDCR priorities and strategic directions, the NIH grants process, the NIH Roadmap, and shared NIH research resources. In addition, they met with NIDCR program directors, viewed the Center for Scientific Review’s video of a mock study section review, and attended a grants writing seminar.

NIDCR Participation in International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Meeting
During the annual IADR meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 9-12, NIDCR sponsored several symposia, a workshop on grant writing, and consultations with staff at the NIDCR booth. Many participants came to the display area to obtain information about the NIH Roadmap, NIDCR research opportunities, research training and career development programs, and intramural opportunities. Over 270 consultations (individual and group) were scheduled with NIDCR staff. The Institute also sponsored the following activities:
 

• A meeting with the T32 training directors, followed by a poster session by NIDCR funded trainees. Forty-six trainees presented scientific posters on a wide range of research topics. Afterwards, NIDCR Director Lawrence Tabak met with the trainees, without program directors or mentors present, to discuss issues of concern to the trainee community.
• Dr. Kevin Hardwick, extramural training officer, participated in the NIDCR Dialogue Panel with the AADR and ADEA presidents and provided an overview of NIDCR funding mechanisms for research training.
• A symposium on “Extracellular Matrix in the Craniofacial Complex” was organized by Drs. Paul Krebsbach, University of Michigan, and Marian F. Young, NIDCR Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch. Investigators from diverse academic backgrounds and at different stages of career development gave state-of-the-art presentations. They explored new and unexpected roles for individual extracellular matrix proteins using a wide variety of experimental approaches ranging from classic protein chemistry to nanotechnology, and molecular and cell biology to the creation of animal models. The symposium served as a venue for attendees to meet leaders in the field and presented an integrated overview of the emerging role of these special proteins in the form and function of the head and face.
• Dr. Lois Cohen, associate director for international health, and Kevin Hardwick led a symposium on “Incentives and Barriers to International Collaborative Research.” Several NIDCR grantees discussed problems encountered and solutions developed as they pursued their international collaborative research planning grants.
• Dr. Richard Mowery, chief of the Clinical Trials Program, organized and chaired a workshop on the use of data and safety monitoring boards in clinical trials. Four people in the dental, AIDS, and ophthalmology research areas with experience either serving on--or working with--data and safety monitoring boards gave presentations.
• Dr. Maria Canto, director of the Epidemiology Research Program, was the moderator of a symposium called “Population Genetics in Oral Health Research.”
• Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, director of the Health Disparities Research Program, held a workshop on “Eliminating Health Disparities: Diverse Types of Research – Diverse Funding Sources,” which provided researchers with an understanding of health disparities funding opportunities at DHHS agencies.
• Dr. Robert Selwitz, chief of the Population Research and Health Promotion Branch, organized and moderated a symposium entitled “Application of Informatics in Oral Health Research: Results of a Conference.” The symposium covered challenges and opportunities in informatics, bioinformatics training and curriculum, informatics applications in oral and craniofacial development, and the role of informatics in improving clinical practice.
• Dr. Alice Horowitz, Division of Clinical Research and Health Promotion, presented a Lunch & Learn session on “A Call for Health Literacy Research.” She also spoke at the symposium on “Examining the Role of Caries-Prevention Regimens and Restorative Materials in Meeting National Health Objectives for Dental Caries.”
• Dr. Jeffrey Hyman, Division of Clinical Research and Health Promotion, organized and led a hands-on workshop focusing on the resources available on the NIDCR/CDC Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center web site, including the catalog of surveys, archive of procedures, catalog of questions used in prior national surveys, data query system, and the annual report.
  
  3^rd International Women’s Leadership Conference
  Plans are proceeding for the 3^rd International Women’s Leadership Conference for Education, Research and Service, under the leadership of the American Dental Education Association. NIDCR is one of the co-sponsors of this event, which will take place August 28-30, 2005, in Montreal, Canada, following the FDI World Dental Congress. The FDI will inaugurate its first woman president in 105 years at that Congress, Dr. Michelle Aerdan, of the Belgium Dental Association.
  
  State-of-the-Science Conference on Tobacco Use
  NIH’s Office of Medical Applications of Research will hold a State-of-the-Science Conference on Tobacco Use, June 12-14. Dr. Patricia Bryant, director of the NIDCR Behavioral and Social Science Research Program, serves on the planning committee for the meeting. It is anticipated that oral health clinicians and researchers will participate in the conference.
  
  Other Meetings Attended by NIDCR Staff:
  12^th Conference on Retrovirology and Opportunistic Infections
  21^st Annual Student Research Day at Ohio State University College of Dentistry
  62^nd Annual Meeting of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
  96^th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research
  American Association of Public Health Dentistry
  American Dental Association Standards Committee on Dental Informatics
  Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Molecular Marketplace meeting
  Experimental Biology/American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Conference
  Federal Services Dental Educators Course/Meeting
  Fourth Symposium on the Skeletal Complications of Malignancy
  Gordon Conference on Salivary Glands and Exocrine Secretion
  Head and Neck Inter-Specialized Program of Research Excellence (InterSPORE) meeting
  International Caries Detection and Assessment System Symposium
  Mark Wilson/Oral Immunology/Microbiology Research Conference
  National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics Annual Meeting
  National Health Disparities Summit
  National Oral Health Coordinating Committee and Community-Based Participatory Research Committee
  NDA on the Hill Day
  NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Coordinating Committee’s Working Group on Health Disparities
  NIH Health Literacy Group
  NIH Prevention Research Coordinating Committee
  National Oral Health Conference
  Society for Clinical Trials
  Special Care Dentistry
  Student Research Day at Texas A&M/Baylor College of Dentistry
  Task Force on Design and Analysis of Dental and Oral Research
  Trans-NIH Coordinating Committee for the Lymphatic System
  Trigeminal Neuralgia Association Regional Patient Conference
  
  INTRAMURAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION UPDATE
  
  Training
  Post Baccalaureate Poster Day
  On May 4, the NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education sponsored the sixth annual Post Baccalaureate Poster Day for participants in the Post Baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) program. These trainees are recent college graduates who are spending one- to two-years working in intramural laboratories while initiating the application process for graduate, medical or dental school. This year, five NIDCR postbacs presented their work:
• Kedesha D. Sibliss, "Thymosin beta 4 Promotes Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression During Wound Repair." Dr. Hynda Kleinman and Deborah Philp, preceptors; Craniofacial Developmental Biology and Regeneration Branch
• Mukundhan D. Ramaswami, "Capillary Morphogenesis Factor-2 Gene Mutation Causes Juvenile Hyaline Fibromatosis." Dr. Thomas Hart, preceptor; Human Craniofacial Genetics Section
• Julian S. Stewart, "Inhibiting Integrin Signaling Decreases Fibroblast Growth Factor/FGFR Expression During Submandibular Gland (SMG) Branching Morphogenesis." Dr. Matthew P. Hoffman, preceptor; Craniofacial Developmental Biology and Regeneration Branch
• Sherilyn J. VanOsdol, "The Role of Laminin Peptides in Breast Cancer Metastasis." Dr. Jennifer E. Koblinski and Hynda Kleinman, preceptors; Craniofacial Developmental Biology and Regeneration Branch
• Adrian J. Wilson, "Defining the Role of Nerve Development during Branching Morphogenesis." Dr. Matthew P. Hoffman, preceptor; Laboratory of Matrix and Morphogenesis
  
  Summer Dental Student Awardees Selected
  Ten dental students from U.S. dental schools across the country have been selected as 2005 NIDCR Summer Dental Student Awardees (SDSA). The NIDCR SDSA program is an eight-week internship designed to expose dental students to the latest advances in oral health research. The schools that will be represented this summer are: the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Baylor College of Dentistry, Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Howard University College of Dentistry, Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, and the University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Dentistry.
  
  Update on Previous Summer Dental Student Awardees
  Two 2004 SDSA interns--Andrea Burke and Colin Kong--presented abstracts at the IADR meeting in Baltimore on research projects they completed during their participation in the SDSA program.
  
  Fourteen NIDCR intramural fellows participated in the NIH Grants Workshop for Tenure-Track or Recently-Tenured Dental School Faculty held April 18-19.
  
  Recruitment and Outreach
  Alaska Native Research Outreach Effort
  NIDCR was one of 10 NIH Institutes that participated in the Alaska Native Research Outreach effort in February. NIH staff traveled to Anchorage, AK, to present information on NIH training opportunities, health education, and research career opportunities to interested groups and to participate in the 8^th annual gathering of the Southcentral Foundation, called “Better Alaska Native Health Through Research.” The Southcentral Foundation is an Alaska Native non-profit health corporation whose purpose is to improve the health and well being of Alaska Natives and American Indians. About 2,000 Alaska Natives and families from the region attended the gathering, which featured cultural and educational activities highlighted by the participation of NIH. Dr. Albert Avila, director of the NIDCR Office of Education and Research Training, together with a colleague from the National Institute of Nursing Research, presented a workshop on research career opportunities at the NIH. While in Anchorage, Dr. Avila and NIH staff members also met with science students at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, first-year medical students in the WWAMI (University of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) program, high school students interested in NIH summer programs, and representatives from several health organizations and the Alaska Native Medical Clinic.
  
  Central Kansas Cooperative in Education
  NIDCR supported the Central Kansas Cooperative in Education outreach effort by providing NIH training and research opportunities materials for their education conference. Over 200 junior high and high school girls from rural areas of central Kansas attended the event.
  
  Woodrow Wilson Senior High School (WWSHS) Adopt-a-School Program
  NIDCR staff participated in the Groundhog Job Shadow Day and science fair competition for the Science, Math, and Technology students at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Washington, D.C. In addition to shadowing NIDCR staff, the students participated in a luncheon meeting where Dr. Avila talked with them about research opportunities and presented LifeWorks, an interactive web-based life science career exploration website. NIDCR will continue to support various science programs offered to the SciMaTech students at Wilson High School.
  
  RESEARCH TRAINING, CAREER DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
  
  New Research Training/Career Development Materials Available
  Together with staff in the Office of Communications and Health Education, training office staff produced an article titled “Have You Considered a Career in Oral Health Research?” that appeared in Keepsake, a magazine for undergraduates at institutions with a significant minority population. The article shows students that oral health research is an exciting career option and lets them know about the variety of training and career opportunities available from NIDCR. It includes interviews with NIDCR Director Lawrence Tabak, who gives an overview of oral health research and talks about the importance of recruiting young people into science careers; Dr. Sylvia Frazier-Bowers, Department of Orthodontics, University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, who talks about her journey from college student to assistant professor; and Dr. Andrew Martinez, professor of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, who discusses the combined D.D.S.-Ph.D. degree that some of his students have pursued and the expanded opportunities that come with it.
  
  NIDCR's new CD--“Facing Your Future: Research Training and Career Development Opportunities”--has been audience tested and is ready for distribution when Institute training staff meet with prospective trainees. Designed to replace print publications that quickly go out of date, the CD is primarily for younger audiences--high school, college, and dental school students. It includes fast-paced music, an introduction to oral health research and NIDCR, and links to the training section of the NIDCR web site. A complementary poster that includes the URL for the training section of the web site is also available for posting in dental schools and other similar venues.
  
  Responses to Requests for Applications (RFAs)
  NIDCR Kirschstein-NRSA Institutional Clinical Research Training Award
  Twelve applications were submitted in response to this RFA. The applications will be reviewed on June 8.
  
  Revised Program Announcement
  NIDCR has issued a revised program announcement for the comprehensive T32 training program—the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Dental Research Training Program.
  
  Meeting with Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  Dr. Kevin Hardwick represented the NIDCR at the annual meeting and trainee workshop for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) training program in Cell Signaling in Mucosal Inflammation and Pain. The program aims to educate a new generation of investigators who will apply transdisciplinary approaches in managing inflammatory conditions and associated pain by targeting the cell signaling systems from which they arise. This was the third annual workshop for the trainees and it provided them with information about how to further their careers in biomedical research. The workshop gave NIDCR staff an introduction to the Canadian research training program and an opportunity to explore joint U.S.-Canadian training activities.
  
  DIVISION OF BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES
  
  Recently Released RFAs
  The following RFAs have been released since the last meeting of the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council:
  The Role of Neuronal/Glial Cell Interactions in Orofacial Pain Disorders
  Units for HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks
  
  Recently Released PAs
  The following PAs have been released since the last meeting of the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council:
  Protein Biomarkers of Infection-Associated Cancers
  Tools for Zebrafish Research
  
  Scientific Meetings and Workshops Co-Sponsored by the NIDCR
• Dr. Dennis Mangan, chief of the Infectious Diseases and Immunity Branch, helped organize the Beneficial Microbes Conference held in Incline Village, NV, on April 17-21. It was the second such meeting sponsored by the NIDCR (the first was in October 2001 in Seattle) and was co-sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology. The conference brought together leaders in microbiology and immunology and integrated the principles of microbial symbiosis in both vertebrates and invertebrates. It explored the various ways bacteria are good for the host, recognizing that only a small subset of bacteria that live on or in the body actually cause disease.
• NIDCR co-funded the Keystone Symposium on Innate Immunity to Pathogens, held in Steamboat Springs, CO, January 8-13. Dr. Sangeeta Bhargava represented the NIDCR at this meeting and provided an oral presentation on NIDCR’s support of research through the Immunology and Immunotherapy Program.
• American Society for Microbiology Conference on Viral Immune Evasion, held March 8-12 in Acapulco, Mexico. The conference focused on mechanisms used by viruses to exploit the immune system and cause disease.
• The Seventh International Symposium on the Composition, Properties and Fundamental Structure of Tooth Enamel, held April 10-14 in Brewster, MA. The symposium provided an international forum for presenting the latest advances in dental enamel research and covered topics such as enamel structure, properties, development, defects and repair.
  CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
  
  Recently Issued RFAs
  Planning Grants (P20) for U54 Specialized Center-Cooperative Agreement (RFA-DE-06-002)
  Sjogren’s Syndrome: A Model Complex Disease
  
  Recently Issues PAs
  Drug Delivery Systems for Orofacial Disease (SBIR/STTR)
  
  Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) to Improve the Chemistry and Targeted Delivery of RNAi Molecules
  
  Collaborations with National Centers for Biomedical Computing
  
  Activities
  Dr. Eleni Kousvelari, acting director of the Center for Biotechnology and Innovation, chaired the Resources for Bio-Nanotechnology session at the DOE/NIBIB Workshop on Biomedical Applications of Nanotechnology, held March 17-18 in Bethesda, MD. She also was the plenary speaker at the 2005 Corridor.
  
  NanoBioTech meeting in San Marcos, TX, and participated in the workshop on “Tissue Engineering: The Next Generation,” held May 2-4 in Cambridge, MA.
  
  
  DIVISION OF CLINICAL RESEARCH AND HEALTH PROMOTION
  
  Applications Received in Response to RFAs
  Prospective Studies on Craniofacial Pain and Dysfunction
  Three applications were received; they were reviewed on March 24.
  
  Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity in Primary Care Settings
  Eight applications that included dental settings were received in response to this RFA. The review took place April 18-20.
  
  Data and Safety Monitoring Board Activities
  DCRHP staff participated in meetings of the following Data and Safety Monitoring Boards:
• PAVE pilot clinical trial, Chapel Hill, NC
• Low Dose Doxycycline Effects on Osteopenic Bone Loss, Baltimore, MD
• OPT and MOTOR clinical trials, Chapel Hill, NC
• Northwest/Alaska Center to Reduce Oral Health Disparities—University of Washington
• Center to Address Disparities in Children’s Oral Health—University of California, San Francisco

• Meeting with the president of Hadassah College, Jerusalem, and the directors of the Executive Leadership Program in Academic medicine (ELAM) at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, to discuss the development of a Mediterranean initiative to enhance women’s leadership in education and research for that region. Dr. D.W. Cohen, Chancellor Emeritus, Drexel University College of Medicine, and a co-founder of ELAM, as well as a former NADCRC member, participated in these planning discussions.
• Briefing by the Japan Society
• Meeting with the Deputy Chief Dental Officer and dental staffer of the Ministry of Health, UK, along with the Chief Dental Officer, USPHS, and other heads of dental programs in the DHHS, to prepare for the visits in May of the UK Chief Dental Officer to the National Oral Health Conference in Pittsburgh and the meeting of the PHS Oral Health Coordinating Committee in Bethesda, MD.
• Meeting of the new editorial board of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) in Chicago. Under the leadership of the newly appointed editor, Dr Michael Glick, policies and procedures were re-assessed and ideas were raised to enhance quality and readership. Of interest to the NIDCR is continued visibility of NIDCR news and research, perhaps as a regular column or issue. For example, the June JADA will spotlight NIDCR’s research initiatives. Foreign language editions of JADA are being inaugurated as well as distribution of the English-language editions to foreign audiences.
• IMHA/CIHR Advisory Board meeting held in Quebec City, Canada
• Dr. Cohen presented a seminar for faculty and students at Yale University School of Public Health, in New Haven, CT, on opportunities for international collaborative oral health research.
• Meeting of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Earth Sciences and Public Health
• Dr Cohen gave a presentation to an evaluation panel convened by the Fogarty International Center to assess the productivity of NIH investments in institutional research and training grants in bioethics. NIDCR has collaborated with this FIC-led initiative and has supported several dental trainees from developing countries in Latin America and South Africa
• Meeting with Dr. Raman Bedi, the Chief Dental Officer, UK Ministry of Health, during the PHS Oral Health Coordinating Committee meeting
• Dr. Kevin Hardwick spoke about international dental public health at the meeting of the PHS Commissioned Officers Association Annual Public Health Professional Conference, held in Philadelphia, PA.