Faculty of Dentistry

Deputy prime minister visits clinics at U of T Faculty of Dentistry

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 20:45:04 +0000

Deputy prime minister visits clinics at U of T Faculty of Dentistry

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 07/10/2024 - 16:45

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland meets with graduate students at U of T's Faculty of Dentistry (all photos by Sean Liliani)

Rachel Boutet

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Dentistry

Health

Subheadline

Chrystia Freeland highlighted that children under 18 and persons with disabilities are now eligible for coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland visited several of the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry clinics on Tuesday, July 9, and highlighted how updates to the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) are helping Canadians get the dental care they need – no matter their ability to pay.

At 14 clinics, the Faculty of Dentistry treats more than 15,000 new patients each year, many of whom experience barriers to accessing dental care. The deputy prime minister visited the Children’s Clinic and several others, speaking to pediatric specialty graduate students who help treat nearly 2,000 children annually.

The faculty has been closing the gap in access to dental care for the past 50 years with more than 400 doctor of dental surgery students working with vulnerable populations at a cost dramatically lower than that of a private practice.

Minister Freeland meets a student at the Faculty of Dentistry's Children's Clinic

Following the tour, Freeland said that effective June 27, uninsured children under 18 and adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate who have an annual adjusted net family income of less than $90,000 are eligible for the CDCP. Prior to this announcement, the plan already rolled out to more than 2.1 million uninsured seniors aged 65 or over – of whom about 250,000 have already received dental care.

“The Canadian Dental Care Plan aligns with our mission to provide dental care to those in need,” said Professor Laura Tam, the Faculty of Dentistry’s interim dean. “We have accepted many patients through the CDCP since we enrolled several months ago and are happy to say that our experience has been positive. Now, we look forward to providing the same wide-ranging scope of treatment to our youngest patients.”

Minister Freeland (L) highlighted updates to the Canadian Dental Care Plan – which interim Dean Laura Tam (R) noted aligns with the Faculty of Dentistry's mission to provide dental care to those in need

The deputy prime minister highlighted how the federal government is making it easier for oral health providers to treat patients and to submit CDCP claims. Providers who prefer not to sign on to the plan will now have the option of providing services on a claim-by-claim basis, opening up new channels for patients to access care. Canadians covered by the CDCP will be able to see the provider of their choice, as long as their provider agrees to bill Sun Life directly.

“Too many Canadians are going without the dental care they need – but ability to pay shouldn’t be a barrier to staying healthy,” said Freeland. “That is why we launched the Canadian Dental Care Plan – a transformative expansion of Canada's social safety net – and already, millions of seniors have signed up. Now, with children under 18 and persons with disabilities eligible to apply, even more Canadians will get the dental care they need.”

A dentistry student demonstrates a training mannequin to Minister Freeland

By 2025, the CDCP will be fully implemented to cover all uninsured Canadians with an annual adjusted net family income under $90,000, providing oral health care for up to nine million eligible Canadians.

U of T researcher explores use of DNA nanotechnology to regenerate teeth

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:19:34 +0000

U of T researcher explores use of DNA nanotechnology to regenerate teeth

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 03/25/2024 - 09:19

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Mercedes Ing, who is in her first year of U of T’s pediatric graduate dentistry program, talks about her research into using DNA nanotechnology to regenerate teeth during a recent Three Minute Thesis competition (photo by Jeff Comber)

Topic

Research & Innovation

Subheadline

"Most treatments currently in dentistry involve filling the tooth with materials that don’t make the tooth stronger – in fact, they actually weaken them”

Researchers in the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry are exploring the use of DNA nanotechnology to regenerate biologic materials – including teeth.

Mercedes Ing, who is currently in her first year of the faculty’s pediatric graduate dentistry program, is taking research related to bone regeneration that’s being conducted by a PhD student in the faculty and applying it in a way that could one day reduce the need for cavity fillings.

She says the bone regeneration research has already shown promise in pre-clinical studies.

“Two different solutions of DNA are mixed together to make a gel where the DNA forms a structure that acts like scaffolding, attracting minerals to help regenerate the bone,” says Ing, who is working in the lab of Assistant Professor Karina Carneiro.

She adds that injecting DNA gel has aided with bone healing and that by applying the bone results to teeth, “we want to see how the gel performs in the environment of human saliva and human cells, and how it can help remineralize dentin in teeth.”

Ing says the developing field of nanotechnology has a lot of potential, which she can already see with this research – even in its preliminary stages.

“The cool thing about this is most treatments currently in dentistry involve filling the tooth with materials that don’t make the tooth stronger – in fact, they actually weaken them,” says Ing, who chose her area of research, in part, because of Carneiro, who taught her biomaterials during her dentistry degree. “This could be extremely promising if we’re able to use the DNA gel to rebuild the dentin of the tooth.”

Using DNA as a tool for regeneration could also yield other benefits for patients, including preventing root canals and additional invasive dental visits, she says.

“Nowadays, in pediatric dentistry especially, we are trying to move towards minimally invasive dentistry and fewer visits,” says Ing. “The ultimate goal is to be able to apply this gel to help promote more healing.”

Morris Manolson, the Faculty of Dentistry’s vice-dean, research, and Mercedes Ing at the faculty's 2024 Three Minute Thesis award presentation (Jeff Comber)

Ing presented her research at the Faculty of Dentistry’s Three-Minute-Thesis competition earlier this year and was chosen as the winner, moving on to the larger, U of T-wide competition.

“I was happy to win for my supervisors – they were really encouraging and supportive,” says Ing, referring to Carneiro and Anuradha Prakki, associate dean, undergraduate education. “I’m excited to represent the faculty in the next round and also to see the breadth of research from around the entire university.”

U of T students, prof help propel noma onto WHO's neglected disease list

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 21:42:52 +0000

U of T students, prof help propel noma onto WHO's neglected disease list

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 01/22/2024 - 16:42

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Sakina, age four, appears in Restoring Dignity, a documentary about noma survivors (© Claire Jeantet - Fabrice Catérini/Inediz)

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“The effort by a group of dental students with one professorial support has helped lead to a result that could ultimately change the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable children on the planet”

The ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry played an instrumental role in the recent inclusion of noma on the World Health Organization’s official list of neglected tropical diseases – a move that will have an enormous impact on future global efforts to control the disease.

Noma, which occurs when bacteria and microbes quickly destroy facial bones and tissues, is a preventable disease. It typically affects young children in impoverished communities and leads to severe facial disfigurements and often death, with a mortality rate of up to 90 per cent.

U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry has been advocating for noma’s inclusion on the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) list for several years, lending its support to a global campaign that has been led by the Nigerian government.

“Seeing noma for the first time was life-altering,” says Joel Rosenbloom, director of student life and assistant professor, teaching stream, in the Faculty of Dentistry. “I felt a deep sense of embarrassment to be a member of humanity, knowing that noma exists and that we ignored it for so long.”

That experience prompted Rosenbloom to work with dentistry students to form the Noma Action Group (NAG) in 2020.

The group has since played a pivotal role in the international campaign to have noma listed as a neglected tropical disease, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), will help “amplify global awareness, catalyse research, stimulate funding, and boost efforts to control the disease through multisectoral and multi-pronged approaches.”

Front row, left to right: Andrew Seto, Riya George, Hartirath Brar, Ocarina Zheng and Athena Zhao. Middle row, left to right: Hellen Huang, Ken He, Zoha Anjum and Camryn Rohringer. Back row, left to right: Ifeanyichukwu Ezeliorah, Cassandra Collins, Shirin Esfahani and Joel Rosenbloom. Absent: Sharon Yoon (photo by James Long)

The road to getting noma included on the WHO list wasn’t an easy one. Rosenbloom and former Faculty of Dentistry Dean Dan Haas encouraged Canada’s minister of health to write a letter to support the Nigerian government’s dossier for noma’s inclusion, laying the groundwork to influence other ministers around the world to do the same. As a result, there are now 32 letters of support globally.

Over the past few years, NAG has held multiple noma events such as lectures and guest speakers at U of T and other dental schools across Canada. NAG chapters are now forming at Western University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Manitoba and Dalhousie University.

“This is an example of the power of advocacy and I am beyond proud of the Faculty [of Dentistry]’s role in this achievement,” says Rosenbloom. “The effort by a group of dental students with one professorial support has helped lead to a result that could ultimately change the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable children on the planet.”

Rosenbloom notes that it is ultimately the vote at the World Health Assembly which will determine next steps and specific accountabilities such as increasing awareness, funding and supporting those affected by the disease.

“The fight is not over,” he says. “But I am very hopeful. This literally has the ability to change the world. It’s the first step toward eradicating this disease.”

Researcher puts rare disease under the atomic force microscope

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:37:13 +0000

Researcher puts rare disease under the atomic force microscope

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 10/19/2023 - 14:37

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Laurent Bozec, a professor in the Faculty of Dentistry, is keen to help the millions of patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, for which there is no current pharmacological treatment (photo by Jeff Comber)

Diane Peters

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Our Community

Sinai Health

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Faculty of Dentistry

Research & Innovation

University Health Network

Subheadline

Laurent Bozec is on the hunt for biomarkers associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes collagen dysfunction

Laurent Bozec, a professor in the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry, is keen to help patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – a group of genetic disorders in which collagen dysfunction can cause stretchy and fragile skin, joint hypermobility and a range of oral, facial and dental problems.

The syndrome affects 1.5 million people worldwide, while another 225 million have symptoms but no formal diagnosis.

Working with University Health Network (UHN) physician and Temerty Faculty of Medicine faculty member Nimish Mittal, Bozec has been looking at skin samples of patients to find a biomarker for the disease.

"I love looking at damaged collagen,” says Bozec, who uses atomic force microscopy to look at tissues at what he calls the nanometrology level.

His lab analyzes samples at 1,000 to 10,000 times higher resolution than normal histology – always with an eye to clinical implications.

Bozec ultimately hopes to help patients with the rare disease thanks to a partnership with the GoodHope Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Clinic at UHN – starting with finding ways to improve diagnoses.

At present, most people take an average of 15 years to get a diagnosis, although a small subgroup can be identified with a genetic test.

“So, that’s 15 years where your health insurance is not going to pick up the tab. Nobody believes that they are having these issues; people get told to stop complaining,” says Bozec, who is cross-appointed to the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and at Sinai Health.

The lab of Professor Laurent Bozec, right, has developed unique expertise to study the biophysics of connective tissue disorders and collagen engineering using primarily atomic force microscopy (photo by Jeff Comber)

After Bozec finds a diagnostic biomarker, he plans to influence collagen using peptides and find personalized, local treatments to help with, say, a wound or a loose tooth. Currently, there are no pharmacological treatments for Ehlers-Danlos, leaving patients rely on things like physiotherapy to stay as well as possible.

Bozec also researches oral cancer, using collagen matrix changes to predict which lesions will lead to cancer. And his lab is trying to prevent the degradation of the collagen around teeth during routine treatments such as root canals.

His approach to scaffolding collagen during these dental processes helps inform his work on treating Ehlers-Danlos. In turn, Bozec expects findings related to diagnosing and treating this rare disease to feed back into other research.

Because patients with Ehlers-Danlos take longer to heal after providing a sample, a rigorous review preceded approval of the research effort, Bozec says.

“I hope we can find some solutions for these patients,” Ehlers-Danlos says. “Even if we can’t, we will still have done good research that has the potential to help others.”

From building bone to children’s literacy: 36 U of T researchers awarded Canada Research Chairs

lanthierj — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 17:51:06 +0000

From building bone to children’s literacy: 36 U of T researchers awarded Canada Research Chairs

lanthierj Tue, 08/29/2023 - 13:51

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Karina Carneiro, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Dentistry, is one of 36 researchers at U of T and its partner hospitals to receive a new or renewed Canada research chair (photo by Jeff Comber)

Topic

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Canada Research Chairs

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Computer Science

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Economics

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Dentistry

Geography and Planning

Hospital for Sick Children

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Research & Innovation

U of T Scarborough

University Health Network

Subheadline

The new and renewed chairs at U of T and its hospital partners were part of a broader research funding announcement by the federal government

At the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry, Karina Carneiro and her team are working on developing new treatments to regenerate bone with DNA-based biomaterials.

Karina Carneiro (photo by Jeff Comber)

The researchers are exploring ways to use synthetic materials, created using DNA nanotechnology, to help bones regenerate and support the body’s efforts to heal them naturally.

That’s in contrast to current bone repair treatments, which involve taking bone tissue from another part of the body and breaking it into little pieces that can be inserted into the defect.

“Using a DNA-gel for this purpose could be an effective treatment option as it can be injected to fill the defect size fully,” says Carneiro, an assistant professor in the faculty.

“What we believe to be the difference between our DNA gel and other materials being developed is that over time, the DNA can degrade into molecules that promote our own body’s healing mechanism to further regenerate the bone.”

Carneiro is one of three researchers at the Faculty of Dentistry to be awarded a new or renewed Canada Research Chair in the latest round – and one of 36 across U of T’s three campuses and hospital partners (see list below).

Established in 2000, the prestigious federal program aims to recruit and retain top researchers and scholars in the country. It invests more than $300 million annually to enable world-class researchers to reach new heights in disciplines spanning engineering, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.

“Congratulations to all the researchers at the ��Ƶ who received new or renewed Canada Research Chairs in the latest round,” says Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

“From using AI to improve medicine and health care to better understanding Indigenous geographies and environmental dispossession, the work by U of T investigators supported by this important federal program is pushing the boundaries of research and innovation – and promises to have a big impact in Canada and around the world.”

Anil Kishen (photo by Jeff Comber)

Professor Anil Kishen, who is also at the Faculty of Dentistry, will use the funding associated with his Tier 1 Canada Research to advance his work in oral health nanomedicine.

He and his colleagues in the Kishen Lab are using multifunctional bioactive nanoparticles to study how cells communicate with each other and how wounds heal – in particular, how nanoparticles can be used to help save infected natural teeth and treat wounds and ulcers in individuals with diabetes.

Kishen says one of the reasons chitosan-based nanoparticles, which are optimized for different therapeutic applications, are so promising is because they’re derived from a naturally occurring molecule that is readily available.

“Affordability is important when developing a treatment to reach the masses,” Kishen says.

Massieh Moayedi (photo by Jeff Comber)

Massieh Moayedi, an associate professor in the Faculty of Dentistry, is receiving funding to pursue research in pain neuroimaging as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair.

“There’s tenuous evidence that body image might be involved in some types of chronic pain,” Moayedi says, adding that his end goal is to understand how pain works so he can improve patient outcomes.

He’s already shown that people with arthritic hands who see the limb looking healthier through a special device experience improvements in pain, so he’s now trying to understand which brain regions are involved.

“This chair will give me funding and the capacity to allow me to investigate these questions, and to really understand the relationship between pain and body image.”

Randy Boissonnault, minister of employment, workforce development and official languages, announced the CRCs at a press conference on Aug. 29 on behalf of François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, and Mark Holland, minister of health.

He also revealed the researchers and projects receiving funding through a diverse array of programs administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

They include the recipients of the SSHRC’s Partnership Grants, Partnership Development Grants and Insight Grants, as well as the recipients of the CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), which helps institutions to recruit and retain outstanding researchers, and provide them with the necessary tools and technology to perform their work. Named after a former U of T president, JELF supports projects that deal with a range of pressing issues. This year’s recipients include 35 researchers at U of T and its hospital partners sharing a total of more than $11 million for projects ranging from an assessment of plant responses to environmental change to the development of an ultra-sensitive cryogenic detector for dark matter and neutrino experiments.

“The federal government’s ongoing support for research through all of these programs – from the John R. Evans Leaders Fund, to the NSERC and CFI grants and the Canada Research Chairs – is critical to supporting the kind of research that ultimately improves lives through new knowledge and innovations,” Cowen said.

Here is the full list of new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at U of T:

New Canada Research Chairs

Stephanie Ameis at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and in the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in neuroimaging of autism and mental health in youth
Yvonne Bombard at Unity Health and in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Tier 2 in genomics health services and policy
Karina Carneiro in the Faculty of Dentistry, Tier 2 in DNA-based biomaterials
Jesse Chao at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and in the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in precision cancer diagnostics and artificial intelligence
Xi (Becky) Chen-Bumgardner in the department of applied psychology and human development in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Tier 1 in literacy development of bilingual and multilingual children
Mark Chiew at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and in the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in computational biomedical imaging
Sarah Crome at University Health Network and in the department of immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in tissue-specific immune tolerance
Michelle Daigle in the department of geography and planning in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Tier 2 in Indigenous geographies and environmental dispossession
Karen Davis at University Health Network and in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 1 in acute and chronic pain research
Rahul Gopalkrishnan in the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in computational medicine
Housheng (Hansen) He at University Health Network and in the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 1 in RNA medicine
Margaret Herridge at University Health Network and in the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 1 in critical illness outcomes and the recovery continuum
Anil Kishen in the Faculty of Dentistry, Tier 1 in oral health nanomedicine
Bowen Li in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, Tier 2 in RNA vaccines and therapeutics
Iacovos Michael at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and in the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in tumor biology and precision oncology
Massieh Moayedi in the Faculty of Dentistry, Tier 2 in pain neuroimaging
Faiyaz Notta at the University Health Network and in the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in pancreatic cancer and cancer evolution
Valeria Rac at the University Health Network and in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Tier 2 in health system and technology evaluation
Fahad Razak at Unity Health Toronto and in the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in health-care data and analytics
Clinton Robbins at the University Health Network and in the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 1 in cardiovascular immunology
Lena Serghides at the University Health Network and in the department of immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 1 in maternal-child health and HIV
Catriona Steele at the University Health Network and in the department of speech language pathology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 1 in swallowing and food oral processing
Bo Wang in the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, tier 2 in artificial intelligence for medicine

Renewed Canada Research Chairs

Angela Cheung at University Health Network and in the department of medicine at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 1 in musculoskeletal and postmenopausal health
Xi Huang at the Hospital for Sick Children and in the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in cancer biophysics
Cendri Hutcherson in the department of psychology at the ��Ƶ Scarborough, Tier 2 in decision neuroscience
Joanne Kotsopoulos at Women’s College Hospital and at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Tier 2 in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer prevention
Arthur Mortha in the department of immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in mucosal immunology
Kelly O’Brien in the department of physical therapy in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in episodic disability and rehabilitation
Trevor Pugh at the University Health Network and in the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in translational genomics
Diego Restuccia in the department of economics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Tier 1 in macroeconomics and productivity
David Sinton in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Tier 1 in energy and fluids
Olivier Trescases in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Tier 2 in power electronic converters
Joel Watts in the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Tier 2 in protein misfolding disorders
Michael Widener in the department of geography and planning in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Tier 2 in transportation and health
Stephen Wright in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Tier 1 in population genomics

Researchers discover molecule in the mouth that could help eliminate pathogens

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 31 May 2023 14:09:42 +0000

Researchers discover molecule in the mouth that could help eliminate pathogens

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 05/31/2023 - 10:09

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Researchers Michael Glogauer, right, and Abdelahhad Barbour, left, work in a dry area of a lab that's reserved for data analysis (photo by Jeff Comber)

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Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10 could open the door to an alternative to conventional antibiotic treatment

Researchers at the University Health Network and ��Ƶ have discovered a new biotherapeutic molecule – produced by a strain of oral probiotic bacteria – that kills infectious pathogens while promoting a healthy microbiome.

The findings by Michael Glogauer, dentist-in-chief at the University Health Network and a professor in U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry, and Abdelahhad Barbour, a molecular microbiologist and former U of T post-doctoral researcher, were recently published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Science.

Patented as Salivaricin 10 (Sali10), Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10 promises to open the door to an alternative to conventional antibiotic treatments and is a novel solution to prevent infectious diseases.

While conventional antibiotics, mainly isolated from soil-derived microorganisms, generally have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity that kills good and bad bacteria alike, Sali10 effectively targets infectious pathogens while also maintaining important oral microbiota.

“Sali10 kills oral pathogens that cause periodontal diseases as well as many multi-drug resistant respiratory pathogens that cause pneumonia,” Glogauer says. “Unfortunately, less than three per cent of the human population has [their own] S. salivarius that can produce Sali10 in their mouth. We hope to create biotherapeutics in the form of beneficial bacteria with drug-like properties that eventually people can rinse with, or eat foods with, so that their oral microbiome is tipped to a healthy side.

“The S. salivarius bacteria themselves are a drug delivery device due to their probiotics properties which enable them to colonize the mouth and produce and release Salivaricin 10 peptides.”

The search for beneficial bacteria

The human microbiome influences our immune system and overall health. Our mouths have the second-largest and most diverse microbiota after the gut, harboring over 700 species of bacteria. With this abundance of microbes within us, there is a rising interest in exploring their health-promoting properties.

As part of their effort to find beneficial bacteria in the mouth, Glogauer and Barbour co-founded a U of T-affiliated startup called Ostia Sciences Inc. in 2020.

“We look for beneficial bacteria in the mouth called commensals with probiotic properties,” Glogauer says. “They are the opposite of pathogens and keep us healthy.”

This project began by isolating Streptococcus salivarius from healthy people’s mouths and observing how these microbes were affecting bacterial pathogens and the innate immune responses. “S. salivarius is [found in] the human oral cavity and the gut, and it co-evolved within the human body over hundreds of thousands of years,” Barbour says.

Some specific strains of commensals can produce peptides called lantibiotics (antibiotics that have lanthionine) that can impair pathogens’ colonization and promote healthy microbiomes. Lantibiotics produced by S. salivarius are called salivaricins.

"We observed that this previously unidentified structural class of lantibiotics is responsible for many immunomodulatory activities beyond the antimicrobial capacity,” Barbour says.

A breakthrough molecule

In fact, the researchers observed that Sali10 molecules were a chemoattractant to neutrophils, which means that they recruited more immune cells to help fight off infections. Sali10 enhanced phagocytosis, the process by which specialized immune cells like neutrophils engulf and break down harmful substances like bacteria and viruses. It was also observed that Sali10 reduced inflammation through the promotion of anti-inflammatory macrophages.

“We wanted to know structurally why these lantibiotic peptides had this incredible multi-functionality. Why was this molecule able to do what it was doing making it superior to other lantibiotics?” Barbour says.

The research team applied structural biology analysis and discovered that Sali10 molecules had a phosphorylation site on the N-terminal region of the peptides. “Sali10 is the first phosphorylated lantibiotic ever discovered. This novel structural feature is responsible for the immunoregulatory function,” says Barbour.

He adds that the discovery raises questions about phosphorylated lantibiotics in other human microbiomes and their role in promoting health.

“Having demonstrated the efficacy of Salivaricin 10 in both in vitro and in vivo models, we plan to commence human clinical trials in the near future to establish its safety and efficacy clinically.”

U of T’s dental clinics in the spotlight during federal minister's tour

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 14:09:32 +0000

U of T’s dental clinics in the spotlight during federal minister's tour

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 04/05/2023 - 10:09

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Ahmed Hussen, Canada's minister of housing and diversity and inclusion, recently took a tour of the Faculty of Dentistry dental clinics, which serve about 15,000 patients a year (photos by Johnny Guatto)

Simona Chiose

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Dentistry

A commitment by the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry to provide access to dental services for all populations can help support the new Canadian Dental Care Plan, said Ahmed Hussen, Canada's minister of housing and diversity and inclusion, during a recent tour of the faculty’s dental clinics.

Hussen’s March 31 visit followed the announcement in this year’s federal budget of multiple measures to improve access to dentistry in Canada, including the launch of the Dental Care Plan. Once the plan is fully phased in, all families without insurance and a family income of up to $90,000 are expected to receive care.

U of T’s clinic, the only dental school in the country to offer all 10 dental specialties, has been closing the gap in access to dental care for the past 50 years. The clinic serves approximately 15,000 patients a year and saw 93,000 patient visits last year. More than 400 doctor of dental surgery students and 80 dental specialist graduate students receive training in working with vulnerable populations. Services are provided at lower cost than in private dental practices.

“The ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry is a critical component of the dental safety-net system to everyone in our communities,” said Professor Jim Yuan Lai, vice-dean of education at the Faculty of Dentistry. “Through our clinics, we are closing the gap in dental care for the one in five Canadians who face barriers to access and preventing poor health outcomes that can lead to more expensive interventions.”

The Faculty of Dentistry’s dental clinics also accept patient referrals from private dental practices. Information on becoming a patient is available on their website.

Ahmed Hussen, left, speaks with Professor Jim Yuan Lai, right, while students at U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry look on (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hussen visited several learning clinics operated by the faculty and spoke to students about how their training prepares them to attend to the health needs of vulnerable populations. The new national plan could increase the number of patients who receive services through the clinics, he said.

“This is amazing work that is being done here and, as the federal government, we want to make sure this work is supported – and one of the ways to do that is to empower and enable more people to access this wonderful service.

“That’s why we are proud to introduce the Canadian Dental Care Plan, which will provide coverage for up to nine million uninsured Canadians when fully implemented. With this plan, no Canadian will ever again have to choose between maintaining their oral health and paying their bills,” Hussen said.

Ahmed Hussen watches a procedure at the Faculty of Dentistry’s dental clinics (photo by Johnny Guatto)

A survey conducted by the faculty in the summer of 2021 showed that 83 per cent of patients who are seen at the clinics earn less than $50,000 annually; are twice as likely to report food insecurity; and are a third less likely to have dental insurance compared to other Canadians. Sixty percent of patients polled reported avoiding dental visits due to cost. Patients visiting the clinics came from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Patients who come in may have multiple issues that have been neglected, said Dave Dunbar, a fourth-year student in the program.

“People often come in with complex cases and you have the opportunity to learn a lot and provide a big improvement in their quality of life, in their eating and speaking and socially,” said Dunbar, who is president of the Dental Students’ Society. “These clinics are imperative to providing health care in this city, where there is a high immigration rate and a big discrepancy in access to care.

“Our clinics help to bridge that gap significantly.”

In addition to the clinics at the faculty, dental students gain experience through rotations at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto Public Health Clinics and youth-focused, community-based clinics.

The faculty is looking to increase the number of patients so students have exposure to the full range of services and needs they will encounter after graduation, Lai said, adding this is an area of potential collaboration with the federal government.

In addition to launching the Canadian Dental Care Plan, the federal budget introduced the Oral Health Access Fund, which proposes to provide $250 million over three years to remove barriers to care, including in rural and remote communities, and investments in collecting and analyzing better data on dental care.

U of T scientists to be highlighted at International Day of Women and Girls in Science event

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:24:39 +0000

U of T scientists to be highlighted at International Day of Women and Girls in Science event

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/10/2023 - 15:24

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Hadeel Mohammad, left, and Omnia Elebyary, right, will be joined by Heba Roble and Mohaddeseh Abdolhosseini – all U of T researchers – at Global Conversations: Women and Girls in Science at the Aga Khan Museum (photos by Dewey Chang)

Tabassum Siddiqui

Topic

Our Community

Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Dentistry

Graduate Students

Women

Four ��Ƶ scientists – all Muslim women – will discuss their career paths and groundbreaking research during a panel at the Aga Khan Museum this weekend to mark the eighth annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The panelists include: Mohaddeseh Abdolhosseini, a PhD student in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering; Omnia Elebyary, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Dentistry; Hadeel Mohammad, a PhD candidate in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering; and Heba Roble, a first-year master’s student in the health services research program in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

The Feb. 11 event is presented in partnership with Massey College and the Canadian Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

U of T News spoke with Elebyary, who is researching oral biomarkers that can predict the risk of adverse outcomes in bone-marrow transplant recipients, and Mohammad, whose research examines the intersection of wireless communication and electromagnetics, about their experiences as women in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine).

What made you interested in studying science?

Elebyary: For me, it was mainly curiosity. I was a practising dentist back home in Egypt after graduating from university there. Though I was able to help patients in the clinic, through doing research I can help many more people on a wider scale. I wanted to do something that could benefit patients – especially cancer patients, as I’ve diagnosed a lot of cancer patients during my clinics, and I want to help them more by finding things that could potentially improve their treatment outcomes.

Mohammad: My interest in science started at a very young age because I was inspired by my father, who was a teacher. I started to appreciate science and wanted to know the answers to questions about ourselves. Even the area of research that I’m working on right now – I’m always interested in the unanswered questions and trying to find answers to the specific issues within my field.

Have you faced challenges in being a woman in your field?

Mohammad: As we move forward in the higher education system, from bachelor’s to master’s to PhD, you can see that the number of women in STEMM degrees decreases. You can certainly feel isolated. When I attend seminars or talks, there are fewer female students. There can be pressure to prove yourself – as a minority in the field, you want your voice to be heard. At the same time, I’ve had some great support from supervisors who send opportunities my way and are always looking to empower women in STEMM – so that has been really helpful.

Elebyary: I think the STEMM field is very challenging in itself, regardless of whether you’re a woman or a man. I think there’s often this notion that women are emotional and empathetic, and so maybe you deal differently with the frustrations that come with science – but I’m always showing that being emotional actually fuels me toward doing better in science because I’m very connected to the cause that I’m working toward. But certainly, it comes with a lot of struggle to prove that you can handle everything that comes with academia. Fortunately, we do have a lot of examples of great, achieving women who have done amazing things here at U of T and elsewhere – seeing their example or having them present in front of you is inspiring.

What’s your advice for young women who might be considering studying STEMM?

Mohammad: We’re so often afraid of failing, so I would say that instead of giving in to that fear, you just have to try. I always try to remember that when one door closes, somewhere another one opens – and that is applicable to different aspects of life. It’s only through persistence that you can reach for something rewarding. So just keep trying – and remember there are lots of different opportunities in the field of science.

Elebyary: Part of being successful is asking a lot of questions – and really listening to what people have to say. A lot of the things I’ve done I once thought were impossible. But when you ask a lot of people, a lot of small doors open for you – leading to even bigger doors; you just never know where they will lead. So, I’ve always been keen on asking those questions and learning from other people’s experiences.

Why is it important to celebrate women in STEMM through the International Day of Women and Girls in Science?

Mohammad: It raises awareness and reminds people that even though we have gone through a lot of advancements in our world, women still do face some challenges in the field. For women in the field, it’s a chance to reflect on all we have done; and for the younger generation, it’s a source of encouragement and makes them excited to know more about the contributions of women.

Elebyary: It's important to have this type of initiative to open doors for women so they feel like they can be represented in the field. I know that it can be intimidating to enter a field where you feel you’re a minority. But when you see Muslim women being represented at an event like this one at the Aga Khan Museum, you might just get inspired. That’s partly how I became interested in science myself – I attended a conference once where I saw another visibly Muslim woman present an amazing talk. It made me realize, “Maybe I can do it.” So, one of my main goals is to show that women – especially BIPOC women – can be represented in these spaces.

After fleeing Syria, Aiman Ali finds a new home as co-ordinator of a U of T dentistry lab

geoff.vendeville — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 19:15:52 +0000

After fleeing Syria, Aiman Ali finds a new home as co-ordinator of a U of T dentistry lab

geoff.vendeville Thu, 07/21/2022 - 15:15

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After fleeing the Syrian war, Aiman Ali came to Canada where he found a job that matches his qualifications at the Faculty of Dentistry (photo by Jeff Comber)

Aiman Ali and his family fled war in Syria six years ago and came to Canada in hopes of a better life. But the move to a new a country wasn't easy, especially at first.

“I came here on a Visiting Scholar Visa for six months – our transition to Canada was extremely arduous and we faced many financial difficulties at the beginning,” Ali says. “We were living cheque to cheque and it wasn’t easy to make ends meet.”

Despite having two advanced degrees in dentistry from universities in Syria and Spain – a doctor of dental surgery and PhD in oral cancer – Ali initially struggled to find a job that matched his qualifications. But earlier this year he became the manager and lab co-ordinator for the Histopathology Research Unit at the Faculty of Dentistry.

Histopathology refers to the branch of pathology dealing with tissue changes characteristic of disease. The lab uses both human and animal samples for precise experiments to determine the role of specific proteins in cells and their role in the progression of cancer and other diseases.

As manager, Ali is responsible for everything that goes on in the lab, including experiments, ordering materials and chemicals and training students and researchers to use the equipment.

Ali programming one of the automated machines in the Histopathology Research Unit (Jeff Comber)

The job put Ali and his family on firmer financial footing, and it's a good fit with his credentials, he says.

Ali took it upon himself when he arrived to modernize the lab with newer equipment so that it could provide more services, including the ability to perform immunostains experiments and full soft- and hard-tissues services for anything related to histopathology and immunohistochemistry.

“Now researchers are sending us work from Sinai and MARS because we can do it all in house,” he says. “Having the ability to deal with dental implants, mineralized tissue in the teeth, [and] bone and jaw puts us at an advantage as it’s difficult for a lot of other labs to complete.”

Ali says he's enthusiastic about using the lab's new machinery to help researchers in Canada and beyond. He says the new equipment has made the lab more efficient by automating certain procedures, thereby saving time and improving accuracy.

“Our lab is an example of the way forward in histopathology,” he says. “I’m excited to see what the future holds for this type of research.”

In a bid to improve accuracy, U of T students give Wikipedia's dental and oral health content a checkup

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 24 May 2022 18:59:10 +0000

In a bid to improve accuracy, U of T students give Wikipedia's dental and oral health content a checkup

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 05/24/2022 - 14:59

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(Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Rachel Boutet

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Dentistry

Many students use Wikipedia as a source of information multiple times a week, if not every day. But what happens when that information lacks accuracy and proper citations?

It’s a problem the Wikipedia Collaboration of Dental Schools (WCODS) aims to address in the dentistry field.

Linnaea Halpert, a ��Ƶ student who is graduating in June with her doctor of dental surgery degree, is the president of the Faculty of Dentistry’s WCODS club. The club was started three years ago with the assistance of Associate Professor Hashim Nainar and Helen He, the head of the Faculty of Dentistry’s library.

“Wikipedia is the first point of access for patient and student questions,” says Halpert. “WCODS is a community of dental students and dentists who monitor dental and oral health-related content on Wikipedia and keep the information up to date.”

WCODS was started by Dr. Nour Geres at Dundee University in the U.K. and now has chapters all around the world, including the one at U of T. At the beginning of every year, each chapter is assigned a topic of focus with specific Wikipedia articles to work on to ensure that there is no overlap in editing efforts among different chapters. Since Wikipedia utilizes open collaboration, one of the challenges is that editing work can be undone. Halpert says each chapter therefore monitors the pages after they have been updated to ensure accuracy.

Halpert became interested in WCODS when she was working at Princess Margaret Hospital alongside someone who went to dental school in the U.K.

“I know I have been told that Wikipedia isn’t a credible source and we shouldn’t use it, but I also know it’s a website many of my classmates go to for a last-minute check,” she says. “So, I thought if so many of us are using it anyway, why not try to make it as good as it possibly can be.”

She notes that Wikipedia is also used by patients and other dentists, making it even more important that everyone is accessing the same accurate information.

The WCODS club prior to the pandemic. From left to right: Bronte Murcar-Evans, Linnaea Halpert, Noah Gasner and Joshua Tordjman (photo by Adam Tepperman)

Halpert says WCODS is also an opportunity for students at the Faculty of Dentistry to join a community of students and dentists around the world.

“Joining the WCODS club gives students great networking opportunities, the chance to bridge the gap between dentists and patients, and allows them to gain dentistry knowledge and literature appraisal skills,” she says. “Being a part of WCODS also helps students in their pre-clinical years as a way to improve content online so that when the patient sits in their chair, they can help further bridge that knowledge gap.”

Halpert encourages all students and faculty to get involved in the club.

“We would love to have more faculty members involved so we can further expand the scope of the topics we edit and make more accurate.”