Director's Report to Council: September 2006

In June, Dr. Tabak was the keynote speaker at the University of Maryland at Baltimore Neuroscience Retreat and discussed the NIH Roadmap initiative in his address entitled, “The NIH Role in Catalyzing Multi- and Interdisciplinary Research.”  That same month, he also spoke at the Delta Dental Plan Association meeting in Koehler, WI, where he focused on “What’s New in the World of Dental Research.” 

In July, he participated as a speaker and panelist in a symposium on oral health disparities at the annual National Dental Association Convention held in Nashville, TN.  The convention theme this year was “Committed to Health Equity through Unity and Collaboration.”  The meeting encouraged a dialogue among health organizations to address oral health disparities, discuss strategies, and explore ways to collaborate and share resources.  Later in the month, the NIDCR Director was the featured speaker at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry Research Convocation in Morgantown, WV, where he spoke about “Molecular Medicine Enters the Mouth.”

In September, Dr. Tabak will participate as a speaker at the fourth Scientific Meeting of the TMJ Association, co-sponsored by the NIDCR (see story p.12).  The meeting aims to define the diverse set of health problems experienced by TMJ patients and to develop cross-disciplinary strategies and an integrated approach to research efforts.  Experts from diverse clinical specialties will discuss translational research approaches and share information about integrative systems approaches currently being used to advance the understanding and treatment of other complex clinical conditions.          

ACTIVITIES OF THE NIDCR DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Over the past few months, Deputy Director Dushanka V. Kleinman continued to provide oversight for the activities of the Center for Health Promotion and Behavioral Research.  (These activities are highlighted in the Center report on p.18).  She participated in a conference sponsored by the Santa Fe Group, entitled “The Life of a Child: The Role of Family and Community in Children’s Oral Health,” and presented the perspective of NIH and other Federal agencies in contributing to this topic.  Dr. Kleinman also represented the NIDCR at the Surgeon General’s meeting on health literacy and is the institute representative on the newly formed NIH Public Private Partnership Coordination Committee.  In addition, she participated in Commissioned Corps senior leadership activities related to the Corps’ transformation.  In her role as the NIH liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Kleinman worked with her counterpart at CDC and with NIH Office of Disease Prevention staff to facilitate discussion of agency activities related to the emerging CDC Health Protection Research Guide. 

BUDGET UPDATE

FY 2006
Including the effect of Department-wide reductions, NIDCR’s appropriation is $389.3 million.  Of this amount, $3.4 million is reserved to fund NIH Roadmap projects, leaving $385.9 million to support NIDCR activities.  This translates to a 0.9 percent decrease from the comparable FY 2005 level.  A budget of $231.9 million for research project grants (RPGs) would support an estimated 658 awards.   Note that NIH policy for FY 2006 mandates that all non-competing RPGs receive awards at 97.65 percent of committed levels.  NIDCR’s research centers program would be maintained at 7 awards; an estimated 87 RCDA awards and 340 full-time training positions would also be funded. 

FY 2007
President’s Budget
The FY 2007 President’s budget request for the NIDCR is $386.1 million including $4.7 million for support of NIH Roadmap projects.  The request represents a decrease of $3.24 million--or 0.8 percent--below the FY 2006 appropriation of $389.4 million.  The FY 2007 President’s budget request for the NIH is $28.6 billion, the same as the FY 2006 program level.

Exclusive of Roadmap-associated funding, the FY 2007 request for NIDCR provides support for an estimated 169 competing RPGs and 451 non-competing RPGs - a total of 620 awards.   The FY 2007 request includes funding for 8 research centers.  NIDCR will support approximately 90 Research Career Development Award (RCDA) awards and 337 full-time training positions.

See NIDCR’s Congressional Justification. 
 
Budget Hearings
The Fiscal Year 2007 House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on NIH’s budget request was held on April 6; the Senate hearing was held May 19.  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 Appropriations Subcommittee. 

House Action
The House recommendation includes $386.1 million for NIDCR for FY 2007.  The FY 2006 appropriation was $389.1 million and the budget request was $386.1 million.

Senate Action
The Senate recommended $28.6 billion for the NIH.  This amount is $220.8 million above the FY 2006 appropriation and $200.7 million over the budget request.  The Senate recommendation includes $389.7 million for the NIDCR in FY 2007, an increase of $3.6 million over the budget request. The FY 2006 appropriation was $389.1 million and the budget request was $386.1 million.

HHS/NIH UPDATE

Surgeon General Completes Term
On July 29, Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona completed his 4-year term as the 17th Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service.  During his tenure, he promoted the importance of oral health and dentistry’s role in health promotion and disease prevention.  He actively supported activities that included the National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health, the first national conference on Dentistry’s Role in Bioterrorism and Other Catastrophic Events, Healthy People 2010, and the Healthy Dozen series that incorporated oral health messages as part of “The Year of the Healthy Child” initiative.   Rear Admiral Ken Moritsugu has now been appointed Acting Surgeon General. 

Surgeon General’s Workshop on Health Literacy
A workshop on health literacy will be held on September 7, setting the stage for the Call to Action on Health Literacy.   Health literacy is the ability of individuals to access, understand, and use health-related information and services to make appropriate health decisions.  More than 90 million Americans cannot adequately understand basic health information.

Surgeon General Releases Report on Secondhand Smoke
The Surgeon General issued a scientific report on June 27 concluding that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. The finding is of major public health concern due to the fact that nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans are still regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.  Copies of The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General and related materials are available on the Surgeon General’s Web.

HHS Sponsors National Obesity Action Forum
HHS sponsored a National Obesity Action Forum, June 5-6, in Bethesda, MD.  Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. An estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents are overweight, a problem with many associated health and social consequences that often continue into adulthood.  The  two-day meeting, which featured Admiral John O. Agwunobi, Assistant Secretary for Health, Surgeon General Carmona, and Rear Admiral Van S. Hubbard, M.D. Ph.D., the Secretary's senior advisor on obesity, addressed the problem of obesity in our nation by bringing together federal, state, and local public health officials; leaders of community organizations and advocacy groups; nutrition and physical fitness experts; health care providers; school and food industry representatives; and interested consumers.

New Regulations to Facilitate Adoption of Health Information Technology
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced final regulations that will support physician adoption of electronic prescribing and electronic health records technology.  Electronic prescribing enables a physician to transmit a prescription electronically to the patient’s choice of pharmacy or ancillary provider. It can improve patient safety by decreasing prescription errors due to hard-to-read physician handwriting and communication errors.  It also will automate the process of checking for drug interactions and allergies and eliminate duplicative laboratory and diagnostic tests.  Electronic health records technology offers benefits similar to the benefits of electronic prescribing in terms of reducing medical errors, coordinating care, and improving efficiency.  Electronic health records will allow information to be more portable, moving with consumers from one point of care to another.

Appointment of RADM Craig Vanderwagen, M.D. as Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness
RADM Craig Vanderwagen has been appointed Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness.  Dr. Vanderwagen helped coordinate the public health and medical responses to Hurricane Mitch, the tsunami in Indonesia, and Hurricane Katrina.  Previously he was acting chief medical officer, director of the Division of Clinical and Preventive Services, and a medical doctor in the Indian Health Service. 

Second Annual NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Symposium
NIH will hold the second annual NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (NDPA) Symposium on September 19, featuring research talks by the 2005 Pioneer Award recipients, a poster session by 2004 and 2005 awardees and members of their labs, and the announcement of the 2006 awardees.  Attendance is free and no registration is required. The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award program--a key component of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research—supports exceptionally creative scientists who take innovative approaches to major challenges in biomedical research.  The award provides $500,000 in direct costs per year for five years.

NIH Roadmap Interdisciplinary Methodology and Technology Summit
On August 21-22, NIH held a Roadmap Interdisciplinary Methodology and Technology Summit.  The summit identified gaps and opportunities in developing methodology and technology for the behavioral and social sciences that could enhance participation in interdisciplinary research.  See the videocast of this NIH Roadmap Summit meeting.

New NIH Roadmap Initiatives
• Using Metabolomics to Investigate Biological Pathways and Networks (R01)

• Solicitation of Compounds for High Throughput Screening (HTS) in the Molecular Libraries Screening Centers Network (MLSCN)

New NIH Policy for Funding of Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards
Due to the rising costs for tuition, fees, and health insurance and the resulting reduction in the number of National Research Service Award (NRSA) trainee positions and T32 training grants that can be supported by NIH under a steady-state budget, NIH began exploring the possibility of revising the NRSA funding formula.  Following a November 2005 Town Hall meeting and a public comment period, on August 4, NIH released a Notice of New NIH Policy for Funding of Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance on Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards.  An update and clarification of the policy was released on August 18 (NOT-OD-06-093).  The new policy moves health insurance costs into the training related expenses category by adding a standard lump sum payment, and sets limits on the amount of tuition and fees that will be paid by NIH.

NIH Announces the Availability of Education Loan Repayment
NIH has announced the availability of educational loan repayment under the NIH Extramural Pediatric Research Loan Repayment Program (PR-LRP).  The program provides for the repayment of up to $35,000 of the principal and interest of educational loans for health professionals for each year of obligated service.   The aim is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals as pediatric investigators.  NIH invites qualified health professionals who contractually agree to engage in pediatric research for at least two years, and who agree to engage in such research for at least 50 percent of their work schedule, to apply for participation in this program.  Applications will be accepted from September 1-December 1, 2006 and must be submitted via the NIH Loan Repayment web site. 

Applicants Must Use Updated SF424 Forms
Beginning July 18, 2006, applicants submitting grant applications for R03, R15, and R21 mechanisms must use version 2 of the SF 424 (R&R) and PHS 398 forms.  Once funding opportunity announcements are updated with the new version 2 form package, Grants.gov will no longer accept applications with the older package.  See additional information about using the new grant forms.

NIH Director’s Powerpoint Presentation and E-Newsletter Available
View NIH Director Elias Zerhouni’s powerpoint presentation on “NIH at the Crossroads: Strategies for the Future.” In addition, see the NIH Director's new e-newsletter.

Research Results for the Public
NIH has a new web site—Research Results for the Public—that highlights information to help the public learn more about how NIH is pursuing its goal to make important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives.  The site features information about NIH funding such as “Success Rates, Percentiles, and Paylines, and Your Chances of Being Funded,” as well as fact sheets on various medical and dental conditions, including periodontal diseases and tooth decay. 

Dr. John Niederhuber Named National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director
On August 15, President Bush announced his intent to appoint John Niederhuber, M.D., to be the 13th Director of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach formally submitted his resignation as NCI Director, effective June 10.  A surgeon and researcher with strong ties over many years to the NCI as an outside advisor and grant reviewer, Dr. Niederhuber joined the NIH in September 2005 as NCI’s deputy director for translational and clinical sciences.  Immediately before his recruitment to NCI, he chaired the National Cancer Advisory Board.    

SCIENCE ADVANCES

New Model for Salivary Gland Tumors
Cancer of the salivary glands is rare but collectively comprises the most heterogeneous group of tumors in any organ of the body.  This diversity makes the salivary glands a particularly interesting site to look for mechanistic clues in the broader fight against cancer.  In the May issue of the American Journal of Pathology, NIDCR scientists report they have developed a novel mouse model that induces extremely interesting precancerous lesions and carcinomas of the salivary glands.  The mouse model builds on the group’s previously reported observation that salivary glands express a type of intermediate keratin called cytokeratin 5 in the ductal epithelia.  The group found that when they applied a chemical promoter to salivary gland cells that prompts the expression of both the cytokeratin 5 gene and a mutated K-ras gene, an oncogene long linked to cancer, every mouse produced precancerous lesions and carcinomas in as short as one week.  When the promoter was targeted to a specifically sensitive cell compartment within the salivary glands, it triggered full cancer.  The research was conducted by A. R. Raimondi, L. Vitale-Cross, P. Amornphimoltham, J. S. Gutkind, and A. Molinolo of the NIDCR Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch.

Study Shows DNA Methylation Involved in Common Head and Neck Cancer
In 1983, scientists published for the first time that a distinguishing feature of some human cancers is a small subset of their genes are “hypomethylated” compared to normal cells.  This led to the discovery that genes can be turned on or off not only by sequence altering mutations but decreased methylation of their cytosine and adenosine residues, particularly in their transcription activating “promoter” region.  As researchers dug deeper into this phenomenon, they determined that the opposite also can be true.  Gene expression can be controlled by hypermethylation of these same residues.   Today, research into the DNA methylation of tumor cells continues to provide promising biochemical grist in the search for targeted cancer treatments.  In the June issue of the journal Archives of Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery, a team of NIDCR grantees and colleagues take a closer look in head and neck cancer at the role of DNA methylation and gene copy number (a laboratory term for the number of copies of particular gene within the DNA of a cell).  Monitoring the methylation status and copy number of 22 recognized cancer-related genes in six distinct squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, they found epigenetic modifications in methylation clearly play a role in the onset and/or progression of this common head and neck cancer.  In some cell lines, they found hypermethylation in the promoter region of several tumor suppressor genes completely abrogated their normal function.  The study was conducted by M. J. Worsham, K. M. Chen, V. Meduri, A. O. Nygren, A. Errami, J. P. Schouten, and M. S. Benninger of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Research Division, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI.

Rapid Detection of Submicroscopic Chromosomal Rearrangements
In the May issue of the journal Human Mutation, an NIDCR grantee and colleagues report they could rapidly detect submicroscopic chromosomal rearrangements that give rise to multiple congenital anomalies.  They did so using high density oligonucleotide microarrays, a laboratory tool that provides a comprehensive, detailed snapshot of a person’s genome.  This genomic profile can be compared to control samples to determine if there have been gains or losses of chromosomal material.  Among their various proof-of-principle experiments, the scientists scanned the DNA of 10 patients with multiple congenital anomalies of unknown origin.  The microarray technology enabled the scientists to identify previously unknown microdeletions in two patients with craniofacial differences that likely underlie their conditions.  As the scientists noted, what’s particularly exciting about this paper is the microarray technology already is commercially available and ready for application.  The authors also noted that by identifying these chromosomal changes, insight may be gained into the appropriate medical care for these patients as well as the overall genetic program of facial development.  Investigators who conducted the research were J. E. Ming, E. Geiger, A. C. James, K. L. Ciprero, M. Nimmakayalu, Y. Zhang, A. Huang, M. Vaddi, E. Rappaport, E. H. Zackai, and T. H. Shaikh of the Division of Human Genetics, Stokes Research Institute, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Regulator of Fungal Biofilm Identified
Like all biomaterials, the plastic tubes, or catheters, that are inserted into those who are sick or frail can become colonized over time by microbes.  When the colonizers are single celled fungi of the genus Candida, healthcare workers waste no time in replacing the catheter.  Candida biofilms, the tightly packed fungal communities that adhere to the tubes, are extremely resistant to antifungal agents and can lead to infections that are expensive to treat and potentially deadly.  Replacing a tainted catheter, however, may not be easy for all people, especially those with blood clotting problems or a limited number of accessible veins.  Thus, there is a great need for approaches that eliminate Candida while the catheter remains attached to the body.  In the July issue of the journal Infection and Immunity, NIDCR grantees and colleagues report an enzyme produced by the species Candida albicans, one of the main fungal pathogens in people, might be the answer to controlling its biofilm.  The scientists demonstrated that the enzyme, called alcohol dehydrogenase, naturally restricts the ability of C. albicans to form thick, mature biofilms.  Because the enzyme is known biologically to catalyze the production of ethanol, the group followed up in animal studies and showed that ethanol greatly inhibited C. albicans biofilm formation on indwelling catheters.  Interestingly, ethanol had no inhibitory effect on the biofilms of two commonly studied bacteria.  According to the authors, their data marks the first report of a specific regulator of a fungal biofilm and may point to novel treatment strategies for fungal infections.   The authors of this study were P. K. Mukherjee, S. Mohamed, J. Chandra, D. Kuhn, S. Liu, O. S. Antar, R. Munyon, A. P. Mitchell, D. Andes, M. R. Chance, M. Rouabhia, and M. A. Ghannoum from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, Columbia University, NY, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, and Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada.  

Novel Lead in Endocarditis Research
Endocarditis is a potentially deadly infection of the heart’s endocardium and often its valves and other nearby tissue.  Its infectious hallmark is aggregations, or so-called vegetations, of various bacteria, immune cells called leukocytes, and a matrix of the blood-clotting protein fibrin and blood platelets.  Of the bacteria inhabiting these vegetations, the most frequently identified belong to the genus Streptococcus.  Previous animal studies in a well-established rat model of the condition indicate that the ability of streptococci to resist or avoid circulating immune cells may be an important step in the development of infective endocarditis.  In the June issue of the journal Infection and Immunity, NIDCR scientists and colleagues take this discovery a step further with the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii, one of the well-established causes of endocarditis.  Using a well-established rat model of endocarditis, they show “significant differences” in the virulence of seven representative species of S. gordonii.   Importantly, these differences appear to be correlated solely with the interaction of the bacteria with leukocytes.  The scientists found that after what should have been a deadly encounter with the leukocytes, nearly half of the strains responsible for severe endocarditis survived within the immune cells and ostensibly re-emerged to infect heart valves.  Interestingly, among the non-infectious strains, nearly all were killed by the leukocytes.  In future studies, by identifying the genes that help the resistant strains survive the leukocytes, scientists may be able to glean new insights into the development of infective endocarditis and discover new approaches for its prevention.  The research was carried out by L. S. Young, J. O.Cisar, J. L. Bryant, M. A. Eckhaus, and A. L. Sandberg, NIDCR Oral Infection and Immunity Branch. 

Discovery Suggests Oral Bacterium’s Possible Mechanistic Role in Heart Disease
It was last year that a team of NIDCR grantees published several intriguing new details about how the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis attaches to scavenging immune cells with its long, finger-like projections called fimbriae.  Among these details was the discovery of a novel “inside-out” pathway that is wired within the immune cells.  As described by the authors, once the fimbriae bind to a specific receptor on the surface of the immune cells, called monocytes, the receptor sends a signal inside the cell that curves back out to the surface and activates the so-called CD11b-CD18 form of integrin, a protein that allows the immune cells to attach to objects.  In the June 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology, the grantees add several important new molecular details to describe the process.  They show that the activation of the inside-out pathway causes the monocytes to adhere with greater affinity to the protein fibrinogen, intercellular adhesion molecule I, and endothelial cells, all of which are found in blood vessels.  According to the authors, this greater adherence leads to transendothelial migration and suggests how monocytes may contribute to atherosclerosis or other inflammatory conditions.   It also provides a plausible inflammatory mechanism whereby P. gingivalis may contribute to heart disease.   The research was conducted by E. Harokopakis, M. Albzreh, M. Martin, and G. Hajishengallis at the Center for Oral Health and Systemic Disease, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY and the Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA. 


MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS

NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) Conference
OBSSR hosted a conference called “OBSSR 10th Anniversary: Celebrating a Decade of Progress and Promise,” June 21-22 in Bethesda, MD.  Several NIDCR grantees (Drs. Linda LeResche and Amid Ismail) were invited to present posters on funded NIDCR behavioral/social science research at this meeting. The posters also were displayed at a Congressional reception on Capitol Hill following the conference. See the introductory session of the OBSSR conference.  Dr. Patricia Bryant, program director of the Basic and Applied Behavioral/Social Science Research Program, NIDCR Center for Health Promotion and Behavioral Research, participated in the planning of the conference.  

Conference on Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control
Dr. Bryant also served on the planning committee for the “Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control” conference held June 12-13 in Bethesda, MD.   During this trans-NIH state-of-the-science conference, panelists weighed in on timely questions, including one focusing on the effects of smokeless tobacco marketing.  The panel concluded that smokeless tobacco products were of great concern for three reasons: 1) smokeless tobacco use is associated with numerous health risks, 2) there are limited data about the effect of smokeless tobacco on public health, and 3) new products and aggressive marketing may increase use of smokeless tobacco in the United States. The panel stressed that more research is needed to determine the overall effect of marketing and use of these products.  See the draft statement from the conference.

Gordon Research Conference on Periodontal Diseases
NIDCR co-sponsored the Gordon Research Conference on Periodontal Diseases held in Barga, Italy, June 4-9.  The meeting centered on the cell and molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis, activation and control of the host response, and tissue destruction and repair.  Sessions covered genomics and virulence, pathways of microbial recognition, the control of inflammation, wound healing and regeneration and the potential of stem cell therapy in the treatment of oral disease. 

International Workshop on the Skeletal Growth Plate
NIDCR co-sponsored the International Workshop on the Skeletal Growth Plate held in Portland, OR, June 11–15.  The meeting focused on growth plate chondrocytes and their proliferation, differentiation, and dysregulation in disease states.  It also provided an international forum for scientists to discuss recent progress and new directions for research on skeletal development and disease. 

International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Meeting 
Dr. Alice Horowitz, NIDCR Center for Health Promotion and Behavioral Research, was an invited keynote speaker at the 2006 IADR meeting held June 28 – July 1 in Brisbane, Australia.  The topic of her presentation was “The Role of Health Literacy in Reducing Oral Health Disparities.”   She also made multiple presentations in Taiwan in August on the topic of oral health promotion and disease prevention and health literacy.  Taiwan is in the process of developing a national oral health plan modeled after Healthy People 2010 and wishes to learn from the U.S. experience.

The following NIDCR scientists and board members received awards at the IADR meeting:

•  Salivary Research Award -- R. James Turner, Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch, NIDCR
• Craniofacial Biology Research Award -- Mina Mina – University of Connecticut (member of the NIDCR Special Grants Review Committee)
• Basic Research in Biological Mineralization Award -- Lynda F. Bonewald, University of Missouri-Kansas City (former chair of the NIDCR Board of Scientific Counselors)
• Oral Medicine and Pathology Research Award -- Peter J. Polverini, University of Michigan (former member of the NIDCR Board of Scientific Counselors)

North American Craniofacial Family Conference
Dr. Thomas Hart, NIDCR clinical director, presented the keynote address at the 2006 North American Craniofacial Family Conference held in Las Vegas, NV, July 23–25.  The conference was sponsored by AboutFace USA and the cleftAdvocate programs, which are dedicated to serving individuals with craniofacial birth anomalies and acquired facial differences.  The conference provided an environment for affected individuals and their families to learn from leading clinical and research professionals, share experiences, and build relationships with others around the country.  Dr. Hart gave an overview of clinical and basic science efforts in the NIDCR intramural program designed to understand the genetic basis of craniofacial pathologies. The presentation highlighted craniofacial imaging approaches being developed at NIH and demonstrated how these are helping clinicians and scientists to better diagnose and treat a variety of dental and craniofacial conditions. The conference also provided an opportunity for Dr. Hart to meet with parents and representatives of patient advocacy groups to learn about their specific needs and to better understand how NIDCR investigators can work to facilitate investigations of craniofacial conditions.

Fourth Temporomandibular Joint Association Scientific Meeting
NIDCR will co-sponsor the Fourth Temporomandibular Joint Association Scientific Meeting entitled “A Systems Approach to the Understanding of TMJ as a Complex Disease.”  The meeting, to be held September 11-12 in Bethesda, MD, will focus on medical conditions and other health problems that TMJ patients often report in addition to their TMJ symptoms. The meeting aims to develop strategies for an integrated approach to research on temporomandibular joint diseases and disorders that take into consideration these other conditions; encourage interdisciplinary research in this field; and provide a forum for discussion among TMJ patients, senior investigators, junior faculty members, and graduate students.

Presentation of Paper Written by NIDCR Director and Former Associate Director for International Health
Dr. Lois K. Cohen, former associate director for international health, will deliver a paper she wrote with Dr. Tabak entitled “Dental Research Pays Dividends: Prospects for Preventing Disease,” at the Federation Dentaire Internationale Annual World Dental Congress in Shenzhen, China on September 22.

NIDCR to Cosponsor Oral-Based Diagnostics Conference
NIDCR is cosponsoring the New York Academy of Sciences’ Oral Based Diagnostics Conference, to be held October 10-13 in Lake Lanier Islands, GA. Dr. Tabak will give the keynote presentation on “Point-of-Care Diagnostics Enters the Mouth."  In addition to diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases, analysis of saliva and other oral fluids permits non-invasive detection of exposure to environmental toxins, agents of bioterrorism and chemical warfare, as well as substances of abuse.  Oral fluids also provide biomarkers of disease status for cardiovascular disease, endocrine disorders, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and many infectious diseases.  The oral-based diagnostics conference will focus on advances and new technologies in the oral diagnostics field and their use in detecting health status. 

NIH Conference on Health Disparities
A conference on “Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities: Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Contributions” will take place October 23-24 on the NIH campus.  The conference will focus on three broad areas of action influencing health disparities: policy, prevention and health care.  Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, program director of the Health Research Disparities Program, NIDCR Center for Clinical Research, serves on the OBSSR Working Group on Health Disparities that is planning the conference. The agenda and registration information are available at:
Following the conference, the NIDCR-sponsored Centers for Research to Reduce Oral Health Disparities will hold their annual meeting in the Natcher Conference Center.

Symposium Honoring Dr. Lois K. Cohen
A symposium honoring Dr. Lois K. Cohen will be held December 11 on the NIH campus.   Dr. Cohen, former NIDCR associate director for international research, retired June 2 (see story p. 25), ending a career of more than 40 years in the Federal government.  The symposium is entitled “The Integral Role of Behavioral and Social Sciences in a Systems Approach to Oral Health Research: A Tribute to Dr. Lois K. Cohen.”   It will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the Lipsett Amphitheater in Building 10.    

2007 National Oral Health Conference
Dr. Alice Horowitz is the NIDCR representative on the planning committee for the 2007 National Oral Health Conference.  The theme for the annual meeting is “Advancing Access and Taking Action for the Nation’s Oral Health.”  The meeting will be held April 30 – May 2, 2007 in Denver, CO, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Special Care in Dentistry Association. 

Other Meetings Attended by NIDCR Staff:
1st International Conference on Osteoimmunology
4th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research
8th Annual SBIR/STTR Conference
14th Specialized Program for Research Excellence (SPORE) Investigators’ Workshop
28th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
XVI International AIDS Conference
2006 Annual Meeting and Research Workshop on the Biology, Prevention, and Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer
2006 Biometrics Conference
2007 Scientific Program Committee for the 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society
Academy for Osseointegration Consensus Conference on Dental Implants
Clinical Research Roundtable Meeting
Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s “CELLusions” meeting
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Conference on Infection Control Strategies in Dental Practice
Frontiers in Glycomics: Bioinformatics and Biomarkers in Disease
Gordon Research Conference on Biomineralization
IBC Satellite Meeting on Statistical and Epidemiological Methods in Oral Health Research
International Conference on Vaccines and Immunotherapies for Chronic Viral Infections and Malignancies
Inventory and Evaluation of Clinical Research Networks
National Fluoridation Advisory Committee of the Council on Access, Prevention and Inter-professional Relations of the American Dental Association
National Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence
Prioritizing Public Health Research Agenda for Craniosynostosis
Society for Clinical Trials
TMJ Bioengineering Conference

RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Loan Repayment Program Awards
Through the NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP), NIDCR awarded loan repayment benefits in FY 2006 to 16 investigators conducting clinical or pediatric research.  The LRP seeks to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals to biomedical, behavioral and clinical research careers by using the repayment of educational loans as an incentive.  NIH will repay up to $35,000 per year of each awardee’s qualified educational debt and make corresponding Federal tax payments to cover the increase in Federal taxes. 

Update on Initiatives 
• The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research was reissued on July 21, 2006:
This is a new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) and replaces PA-00-068 and PA-00-069.  The initiative seeks to improve the diversity of the health-related research workforce by supporting the training of predoctoral students from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented.

• The Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32) was reissued on April 27, 2006.  NIH awards individual postdoctoral research training fellowships to promising applicants with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in research fields relevant to the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

• NIDCR, through the FOA for Research Supplements for Underrepresented Minorities and Research Supplements for Individuals with Disabilities has to date provided funds for 6 new individuals in FY 2006.
 
• To help stimulate research and begin to build a cadre of investigators interested in biobehavioral science related to oral and craniofacial health, NIDCR is making available some funds for a limited number of biobehavioral research T32 training slots.  Interest was solicited from current T32 programs that have at least 2 years of funding remaining.  Pending review of the responses, NIDCR will fund a total of three to four slots. 

• A revision of NIDCR’s Oral Health Research Education Grants (R25) program announcement (PA) was published in the NIH Guide on August 3:

The revision was required because of the conversion of the NIH R25 mechanism to the electronic application process, effective October 1.  In addition, the PA added language that now allows applicants to propose development of “research training programs for clinical faculty, so that these faculty members better understand the role of scientific analysis and decision-making in dental education and can contribute to an environment of scientific inquiry in the dental school.”

Professional Activities
NIDCR partnered with the American Dental Education Association to present a session on careers in oral health research at the national meeting of the National Association for Advisors in the Health Professions, held June 25-29, in Portland, OR.  Dr. Kevin Hardwick and Dr. Paul Krebsbach spoke at this session, which was geared toward undergraduate premed/predental advisors.  Interestingly, the most common question asked by advisors after the session was whether a stated interest in research would hurt an applicant’s chances of getting into dental school.

Dr. Hardwick was invited to visit New York University College of Dentistry on July 12.  He met with dental students participating in the summer research program and spoke about research career opportunities and directions in oral health-related research.  He also presented an overview of NIDCR training and career development mechanisms to a group of faculty/mentors and met individually with other faculty and research trainees to discuss training and career development issues and opportunities.

Dr. Hardwick participated in a meeting of the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs, July 19-20, in Chicago, IL.  The agenda focused on the topic of Scientific Analysis and Decision Making in Dental Education-- specifically discussing the role that the ADA may be able to play in working with dental schools to produce dentists who understand the role of evidence and scientific inquiry in clinical dentistry.

K22 Awardee’s Paper Highlighted in Science
A paper published in Development by Dr. Dany Spencer Adams (see citation below) was highlighted as an Editor’s Pick by the journal Science (Science. 312:501).  Dr. Adams is an NIDCR K22 awardee (K22DE16633) and is a postdoctoral fellow at the Forsyth Institute.

Adams DS, Robinson KR, Fukumoto T, Yuan S, Albertson RC, Yelick P, Kuo L, McSweeney M, Levin M. (2006) Early, H+-V-ATPase-dependent proton flux is necessary for consistent left-right patterning of non-mammalian vertebrates.  Development. 133(9):1657-71

CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Responses to RFAs
Nanostructured Dental Composite Restorative Materials
RFA-DE-07-005
The purpose of this initiative is to encourage nanotechnology and nanoscience approaches in the design and development of new dental composite materials.  Forty three letters of intent were received. The review of applications is scheduled for early November.

Meetings of P20 and U01 Grantees
Dr. Eleni Kousvelari, acting director of the Center for Biotechnology and Innovation, organized and chaired a meeting of the planning grant (P20) grantees that took place July 17 in Bethesda, MD. The meeting is part of the process leading to the development of an RFA on “Building the Tooth: Bridging Biology with Material Science.”

Dr. Kousvelari also organized and chaired the semi-annual meeting of the NIDCR UO1 grantees of “The Human Salivary Proteome.”  The meeting was held July 27-28 in San Francisco, CA.

Fiscal Year 2008 SBIR Initiative(s)
A pilot project has been proposed within the SBIR program to address challenges ripe for industrial R&D and to attract commercially viable applicants who will pursue aggressive, targeted, high quality research.  Two topics have been chosen for an initial test--video game approaches to oral health literacy and in situ imaging for oral cancer diagnosis.   

The first approach will concentrate on developing video games for oral health literacy targeted especially at young, socio-economically disadvantaged populations. Imaginative games have shown great progress in many areas, including education and training.  However, a game with mass public appeal that delivers an effective health message has yet to be experienced.  Such an effort will create both a market opportunity in an area of need and a chance to develop new behavioral research tools on a massive scale.

The second proposed initiative focuses on developing low-cost, convenient, sensitive and specific imaging tools that could be used for oral cancer screening during a regular dental checkup.  Head and neck cancers represent less than 10 percent of the annual cancer burden in the U.S., but are particularly difficult to treat.  On average, only half of those diagnosed with the disease will survive more than five years, and most oropharyngeal cancers are not detected until after they have metastasized. 

CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Program Announcements
Pharmacogenetics of Fluoride (R21)
PA Number: PAR-06-421

Pathophysiology of Bisphosphonates-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (R01)
PA Number: PA-06-500

Pathophysiology of Bisphosphonates-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (R21)
PA Number: PA-06-501

Pathophysiology of Bisphosphonates-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (R03)
PA Number: PA-06-502


Requests for Applications
New Models of Pain Relevant to the Trigeminal System (R01)

New Models of Pain Relevant to the Trigeminal System (R21)

These funding opportunities seek to stimulate research on chronic orofacial pain disorders that will provide insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these conditions and the biological mechanisms underlying analgesic treatments of these disorders. Two major goals are 1) to stimulate research on patients with chronic painful disorders and 2) to stimulate the development and utilization of novel animal models of chronic orofacial pain conditions. As an adjunct to these two goals, these initiatives also encourage the development of novel measures of pain in patients and animals that are non-invasive and objective and that permit a behavioral or functional assessment of pain. The primary outcome will be increased knowledge of the biological mechanisms underlying chronic pain disorders, nociception, and analgesic therapies.
 
CENTER FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH

General Dentistry Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs)
The PBRNs are making good progress in establishing their infrastructure and in recruiting dental practices.  All three PBRNs had protocols approved by their protocol review committees and are currently implementing studies on the following topics:

• Methods and outcomes of early caries diagnosis and treatment (DPBRN)
• Reasons for placing the first tooth restoration (DPBRN)
• Reasons for replacement or repair of dental restorations (DPBRN)
• Methods and outcomes of treating advanced carious lesions (PEARL)
• Post-operative sensitivity following placement of dental restorations (PEARL)
• Prevalence of oral disease in a PBRN (PRECEDENT)
• Prevalence and risk factors for osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with bisphosphonate drugs (Trans – PBRN Study involving all three PBRNs)

A supplement was awarded to the PBRNs to study the prevalence of, and risk factors for, osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with bisphosphonate drugs in dental practice.  In addition, Dr. Bruce Pihlstrom, acting director of the Center for Clinical Research, continues to work with the PBRNs in establishing a common data definition depository in the National Cancer Institute’s National Center for Bioinformatics.

CENTER FOR HEALTH PROMOTION AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH

New Requests for Applications
Health Promotion Research Directed to Improving the Oral Health of Women and Their Infants

Healthy People 2010
Dr. Alice Horowitz and other co-leads from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Indian Health Service are working on the penultimate draft of the midcourse review of the Oral Health focus area in preparation for publication in late 2006. The tentative date for the final review has been set for February 21, 2008.  Plans also are underway for the development of Healthy People 2020 national objectives.

Publications
Cannick GF, Horowitz AM Garr DR, Neville BW, Reed SG, Day TA, Lackland DT. A Comparison of Two Methods of Teaching Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection: Phase I. Submitted to American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Hyman JJ, Reid B, Mongeau SW, York AK, The Military Oral Health Care System as a Model For Eliminating Disparities in Oral Health. JADA. 2006 137: 372-378.
Hyman JJ.  Guest Editorial. The Importance of Assessing Confounding and Effect Modification in Research Involving Periodontal Disease and Systemic Diseases.  Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 2006, 33:102-103.

DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH

Michael T. Collins, M.D., Appointed Tenure Track Clinical Investigator
Dr. Michael T. Collins, NIDCR Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch, was appointed to a tenure track position on May 11.  He now heads the Skeletal Clinical Studies Unit.  Dr. Collins began working in NIDCR in 1996 and, together with other members of the branch, established a series of clinical protocols for the study and treatment of fibrous dysplasia (FD) and the McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS).  These protocols were the first of their kind, not only for NIDCR, but also for the NIH Clinical Center.  Dr. Collins has embarked on a new series of studies designed to determine the role of FGF-23, a phosphate-regulating hormone produced by osteoblastic cells, Parathyroid Hormone, and Vitamin D metabolites, in regulating bone mass.  He is studying patients with a variety of diseases that affect bone mass, such as tumor-induced osteomalacia and hypo- and hyperparathyroidism. His studies will not only provide basic understanding of the pathophysiology of these diseases, but will generate evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of patients with these conditions.  Recently, Dr. Collins was selected as the first recipient of the Constellation Award from the Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation in recognition of the contributions he has made to the care and well-being of people with FD and MAS. 

DIR Dental Student Awarded Training Fellowship
Ms. Mildred Embree, a dental student working towards a D.D.S., Ph.D. degree in the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch in partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina, was awarded an F30 training fellowship to support her research.  The topic of her proposal concerns temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA), a degenerative joint disease that ultimately results in permanent loss of TMJ tissues and joint dysfunction.  Her project focuses on one animal model in which mice deficient in two extracellular matrix proteins, biglycan (bgn) and fibromodulin (fmod), develop premature and accelerated TMJ OA.  Ms. Embree proposed to extensively characterize the progression of the disease in bgn/fmod deficient mice, including the possible role of TGF-beta, which binds to both bgn and fmod, in disease progression.  Greater knowledge about the molecular basis of the early cell processes that may contribute to the progression of TMJ OA could eventually be used to prevent irreparable joint damage and to improve effective diagnostic tests and therapies.

NIDCR Fellows Present Posters to NADCRC
On May 22, 14 NIDCR fellows presented posters about their research to NADCRC members.  The research topics covered: Candidate Gene Approach to Prioritizing Pain Targets from Animal Studies:  GTP Cyclohydrolase I; AAV Transcytosis Through Barrier Epithelia and Endothelium; Polymerizing Actin Fibers Positions Primed Integrins Along the Leading Edge of Migrating Cells; A Longitudinal Evaluation of Disease Progression and Functional Outcome in Fibrous Dysplasia of Bone; Mechanism of Gingival Fibromatosis Associated with SOS1 Gene Mutation; Matriptase/HAI-1 imbalance causes malignant transformation of squamous epithelium; A role for AQP5 in activation of TRPV4 by hypotonicity: concerted involvement of AQP5 and TRPV4 in regulation of cell volume recovery; Oropharyngeal Mucosal Epithelium and Lymphoid Tissue As Targets and Hosts of HIV-1; Diverse Functions of Epiprofin in Tooth and Hair Follicle Development; Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 Regulates Pain Signaling through Direct Phosphorylation of TRPV1; Structural and Functional Significance of the secretory Na-K-2Cl (NKCC1) Dimer – regions of the C-terminus involved in dimerization; A Novel, Essential Role for O-Glycosylation in Epithelial Tube Formation; The SIBLING Family of Proteins Offers a New Paradigm for Activation of Specific MMPs; and TOM1L1- a Novel Lyn Substrate Involved in FceRI Signaling in Mast Cells.

NIDCR Post-Baccalaureate Trainees Complete Research Training
The NIDCR post-baccalaureate trainees completed a successful year of research training and will be attending various professional programs throughout the country. The postbac-IRTA fellows who will attend dental school are: Samuel Cowherd, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry (Mentor:  Dr. Matthew Hoffman); Ann Layvey, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Mentor: Dr. Matt Hoffman); Kristen Harvey, University of Maryland, Baltimore College of Dentistry (Mentor:  Dr. Jane Atkinson); and Preeti Kansal, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry (Mentor:  Dr. Indu Ambudkar).

2006 Summer Research Program
Thirty-three high school, undergraduate, graduate, dental and medical students participated in the 2006 DIR Summer Research Program.  Nine of these students were NIDCR Summer Dental Student Award recipients. The awardees were:  Siavash Eftekhari, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; Darryl Gilmore, Howard University College of Dentistry; Eugene Ko, Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery; Jason Koesters, Baylor College of Dentistry; Julie Mikhail, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine; Libertad Negron, University of Puerto Rico, School of Dentistry; Derek Park, Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery; Pooria Shahin, Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery; and Maria I. Trujillo, The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center Dental Branch. 
Highlights of this year’s activities included the summer student research introduction and welcome reception, a field trip to the American Dental Association in Washington, D.C., a career panel discussion on “Future Careers in Research and Dentistry,” a visit to the University of Maryland, Baltimore Dental School to hear research presentations from dental students participating in their program, and a tour of the forensic science exhibit at the National Library of Medicine.   Several students presented their work at the NIDCR Summer Intern Poster Day and Recognition Ceremony.  Eight students also presented posters at the NIH Summer Research Program Student Poster Day.  In addition, the students toured the U.S. Capitol and the House Appropriations Labor, HHS, and Education Subcommittee hearing room.  They met with David Reich, Democratic staff of the subcommittee, who presented an overview of the Federal budget process, with special emphasis on funding for health related programs.  NIDCR attendees included Shalanda Young, public health analyst, Office of Communications and Health Education, Deborah Philp, director of the DIR Office of Education, and Isabel Garcia, director of the Office of Science Policy and Analysis. 

Advanced Biotechnology Institute Students Visit NIDCR
Students from the Advanced Biotechnology Institute, Chestnut Hill, MA, toured NIH and visited NIDCR’s Functional Genomics Section (Craniofacial Developmental Biology and Regeneration Branch) and Gene Targeting Facility to see demonstrations of state-of-the-art techniques used in the generation and characterization of gene knockout and transgenic mice.  They also were briefed about ongoing research projects using these mouse models to study craniofacial development and diseases, oral cancer, autoimmune disorders, and inflammation.

Review By Board of Scientific Counselors
On June 8-9, the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) reviewed Clinical Pain Research and Neurobiology and Pain Therapeutics, headed by Drs. Mitchell Max and Michael Iadarola, respectively.  Augmented by ad hoc reviewers invited by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), the BSC also reviewed Dr. Raymond Dionne's laboratory on behalf of the NINR, at their request.   Dr. Dionne was appointed scientific director and chief of the Pain Research Unit, NINR on October 3, 2005.

Recent Publications
Akintoye SO, Lam T, Shi S, Brahim J, Collins MT, Robey PG. Skeletal site-specific characterization of orofacial and iliac crest human bone marrow stromal cells in same individuals. Bone. 2006 Jun;38(6):758-68.

Artym, V.V., Zhang, Y., Seillier-Moiseiwitsch, F., Yamada, K.M., and Mueller, S.C.  Dynamic interactions of cortactin and membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase at invadopodia: Defining the stages of invadopodia formation and function.  Cancer Res. 66:3034-3043, 2006.
Basile J.R., Castilho R.M., Williams V.P., and Gutkind JS. Semaphorin4D provides a link between axon guidance processes and tumor-induced angiogenesis, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103:9017-9022, 2006. 

Bi Y, Nielsen KL, Kilts TM, Yoon A, A Karsdal M, Wimer HF, Greenfield EM, Heegaard AM, Young MF. Biglycan deficiency increases osteoclast differentiation and activity due to defective osteoblasts. Bone. 2006 Jun;38(6):778-86.

Brown DC, Iadarola MJ, Perkowski SZ, Hardem E, Shofer F, Karai L, Olah Z, Mannes AJ: Physiologic and antinociceptive effects of intrathecal resiniferatoxin in a canine bone cancer model.  Anesthesiology 103:1052-1059, 2005.

Bugge, T.H. and Leppla, S. H. (2006) Anthrax target in macrophages pinpointed.  Nature Genetics, 38, 137-138. I

Fukumoto, S., Miner, J.H., Ida, H., Fukumoto, E., Yuasa, K., Miyazaki, H., Hoffman, M.P., and Yamada, Y. Laminin alpha5 is required for dental epithelium growth and polarity and the development of tooth bud and shape. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 5008-5016, 2006.

Gu J., Wu X., Dong Q., Romeo M.J., Lin X., Gutkind J.S., and Berman D.M. A nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism in the PDZ-Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (Ser1416Gly) modulates the risk of lung cancer in Mexican Americans.
Cancer, 106:2716-2724, 2006.

Palmer, R. J., Jr., P. I. Diaz, and P. E. Kolenbrander. 2006.  Rapid succession within the Veillonella population of a developing human oral biofilm in situ.  J. Bacteriol. 188:4117-4124. 

Park, J-H, Aravind, L, Wolff, EC, Kaevel, J, Kim, YS and Park MH. Molecular   cloning, expression and structural prediction of deoxyhypusine hydroxylase: a novel HEAT-repeat-containing metalloenzyme, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2006:103:51-6.

Philp, D., Scheremeta, B., Sibliss, K., Zhou, M., Fine, E.L., Nguyen, M., Wahl, L., Hoffman, M.P., and Kleinman, H.K.  Thymosin beta4 promotes matrix metalloproteinase expression during wound repair.  J. Cell. Physiol. 208:195-200, 2006.

Raimondi R.R., Vitale-Cross L., Amornphimoltham P., Gutkind J.S., and Molinolo A.A. Rapid development of salivary gland carcinomas upon conditional expression of K-ras driven by the cytokeratin 5 promoter. Amer. J. Pathol., 168:1654-1565, 2006

Rickard, A. H., R. J. Palmer, Jr., D. S. Blehert, S. R. Campagna, M. F.Semmelhack, P. G. Egland, B. L. Bassler, and P. E. Kolenbrander.  2006. Autoinducer-2: a concentration-dependent signal for mutualistic bacterial biofilm growth.  Molec. Microbiol. 60:1446-1456.

Robey PG, Bianco P. The use of adult stem cells in rebuilding the human face. J Am Dent Assoc. 2006 Jul;137(7):961-72.

J. Wang, A.Voutetakis, F. Mineshiba, G. G. Illei, H. Dang, C-K. Yeh, and B. J. Baum. Effect of Serotype 5 Adenoviral and Serotype 2 Adeno-Associated Viral Vector-Mediated Gene Transfer to Salivary. Glands on the Composition of Saliva. Human Gene Therapy 17:455–463 (April 2006)

Yoshida, Y., Ganguly, S., Bush, C.A., Cisar, J. O. Molecular basis of L-rhamnose branch formation in streptococcal coaggregation receptor polysaccharides of Streptococcus gordonii 38 and Streptococcus oralis 34.  J. Bacteriol. 188: 4125-4130, 2005

COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES

NIDCR Public Inquiry Response and Publication Distribution
NIDCR’s Office of Communications and Health Education (OCHE) and its National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse responded to 6,715 public inquiries and distributed more than one million publications in the first half of 2006.  The largest numbers of inquiries came from dental health professionals, people with health concerns (and their friends and family members), health educators, and other public health program administrators.  Significant numbers of inquiries also came from medical professionals, university faculty members, K-12 teachers, students, researchers, and the media. 

In addition, OCHE staff exhibited and distributed NIDCR patient and health professional education materials at the following meetings:  Special Care Dentistry annual meeting in Chicago, IL, June 8-10; American Dental Hygienists Association annual session in Orlando, FL, June 23-24; ABC 7 Family Health and Caregiver Expo in Washington, D.C., July 29-30; and the Academy of General Dentistry annual meeting in Denver, CO, August 3-5.  NIDCR materials were also displayed at the National Healthcare for the Homeless Conference in Portland, OR, June 8-10.

TMJ Disorders Patient Brochure Now Available
NIDCR has just released a revised patient education brochure on temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders.  Pretested with a diverse group of patients around the country, TMJ Disorders focuses on current knowledge of the causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of this group of painful conditions.  The brochure also cautions about treatments that may not be necessary, as well as some that may be harmful.  The publication concludes with a brief description of trans-NIH research under way on TMJD.  TMJ Disorders is produced and distributed by NIDCR in partnership with the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health.  Print copies will be available at the end of September.

Science Updates
Since the last NADCRC meeting, OCHE staff produced summaries of recent research on endocarditis, the possible role of P. gingivalis in heart disease, a new assay for Group B Strep Disease screening, whether statins are beneficial for chronic periodontitis, DNA methylation in head and neck cancer, bacterial coaggregation in oral biofilm, and an enzyme that may point to novel treatment strategies for fungal infections.  See these and previous “Science News in Brief” articles.  Staff also produced an “Inside Scoop” titled “Building a Better Dental Composite.”  This interview with NIDCR grantees Drs. Christopher Bowman and Jeffrey Stansbury describes their research and the ongoing quest for a shrink-proof dental composite.

NIDCR Science in the Cinema
NIDCR oral surgeon Dr. Jaime Brahim was the guest speaker after the August 9th Science in the Cinema showing of “Smile.”  The movie explores the bond between Katie, a privileged American teenager, and Lin, a teenage girl in rural China who was born with a severe facial deformity.  Lin gets her smile back with the help of "Doctor's Gift," a program based on the real-world Operation Smile.  In his remarks, Dr. Brahim talked about the fact and the fiction in the movie and about his own experience on an Operation Smile mission to Vietnam.  Science in the Cinema, at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the annual film and discussion series organized by the NIH Office of Science Education.

NIDCR Website Re-Design and Testing Underway
OCHE staff have developed prototypes for a new NIDCR website designed to improve users’ ability to find the information they need quickly and easily.  Next steps are to conduct usability testing of these prototypes, and to assess user performance on the current versus the fully-redesigned site (scheduled for launch in spring 2007).  The purpose of usability testing--where representative users are presented with tasks they would likely perform on the website and asked to talk aloud so that observers can hear what they are thinking or expecting--is to identify areas where users struggle with the site.  The resulting quantitative user performance data and qualitative data on users’ logic and expectations are then used to guide website improvements.

PERSONNEL

• On September 18, Dr. Jane Atkinson will move to the NIDCR Center for Clinical Research to oversee the Center’s research grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and interagency agreements related to patient-oriented research and clinical trials.   In her new role, she also will provide day-to-day management of NIDCR's extramural clinical trials under the NIH Cooperative Agreement mechanism.  Dr. Atkinson previously worked in the NIDCR intramural program where she has served as the Institute’s deputy clinical director since 2004.

• Dr. Tim Iafolla has joined the NIDCR as a public health analyst in the Office of Science Policy and Analysis where he will work on activities related to oral health policy development and analysis.  In addition, he will work with the Office of Communications and Health Education to provide expert technical advice in matters related to health educational materials and information for public and professional audiences.  Dr. Iafolla holds a DMD from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; a master’s degree in health policy and administration from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill; and a general practice hospital-based residency from the VA Medical Center.

• Lois K. Cohen, Ph.D., NIDCR associate director for international health, retired on June 2 after more than 40 years of government service; 30 of those years were with the NIDCR.  She began her government career in the 1960s as a social science analyst at the PHS Division of Dental Health.  During her tenure there she conducted pioneering work on social science research in dentistry and took on jobs of increasing importance and responsibility.  In 1976, Dr. Cohen was recruited to (then) NIDR by Director David Scott who wanted to expand the Institute’s dental behavioral and social science research.  She subsequently directed the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Communications from 1983-1989 during which the office issued two strategic plans for NIDR and major evaluations of the Institute’s research investments in dental caries, craniofacial anomalies and biomaterials as well as the Centers programs.  In 1989 she was tapped to head the Institute’s extramural program and in 1998 when the Institute created the Office of International Health (OIH), she was named its director.

• Yvonne du Buy, NIDCR associate director for management, retired from the Federal government on September 1 after 37 years of service.  Ms. du Buy spent her entire government career at the NIH and held positions in the Office of the Director, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases before joining the NIDCR 18 years ago as the Institute’s executive officer.  In 1999 she became NIDCR’s first associate director for management, a position she held until her retirement this month.  Mr. Tom Murphy will serve as acting executive officer until a permanent selection is made.   
 
• Dr. Rick Mowery retired from Federal service on July 31, ending a Federal career of more than 20 years.  Dr. Mowery’s entire government career was spent at the NIH where he served in positions at the National Eye Institute, the National Cancer Institute, and the Fogarty International Center.  In 2002 he moved to the NIDCR and became chief of the Clinical Trials Program, Center for Clinical Research.

• On June 24, Dr. Dennis Mangan left the NIDCR to assume a science administration position at the University of Southern California.  Dr. Mangan was part of the NIDCR extramural program since joining the Institute in 1992.  His most recent position was director of the microbiology program, Center for Integrative Biology and Infectious Diseases.  

• Dr. Eleni Kousvelari, acting director of the Center for Biotechnology and Innovation, received the NIH Director’s Award on July 12 together with Dr. Jeff Schloss from the National Human Genome Research Institute.  They received the award “in recognition of exemplary leadership in implementing the National Nanotechnology Initiative and fostering NIH Nanoscience.” 

• Dr. Maria Canto, director of the Health Promotion and Community-Based Research Program, was the recipient of the NIH Director’s Award for her participation in the Trans-NIH Type I Diabetes Research Strategic Plan Steering Committee.

• It is with great sadness that we report that Karl A. Piez, NIDCR scientist emeritus, died on August 25.  A biochemist who conducted groundbreaking research on collagen, Dr. Piez spent 30 years at the (then) National Institute of Dental Research.  He began his research in 1952 and went on to elucidate the molecular structure of collagen, the most abundant protein in the body.  In 1966, he was named chief of the Institute’s Laboratory of Biochemistry.  Together with his colleagues, he described the process whereby collagen is cross-linked by an enzyme into fibers that develop the tensile strength of steel cables.  He and his associates also discovered two genetically distinct collagens, types II and III, the major structural components of cartilage and blood vessels, respectively, which are mutated in certain genetic diseases.  Dr. Piez retired from the NIDR in 1982.   He moved to California and worked for several biotechnology companies, including the Collagen Corporation, where he was involved in the development of artificial bone graft material used by surgeons for fracture repair.  He returned to the Washington, D.C. area in 1991.  

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