Mostly Microbes and Infection

Xiaoyuan Han, an assistant professor in the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry at University of the Pacific, has received a prestigious National Institutes of Health grant for $702,000 to study oral cancer using artificial intelligence tools. Han, who teaches in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, was awarded a Support for Research Excellence-First Independent Research Award for four years. “Dr. Han’s work could help identify patients needing early care and increase our ability to provide personalized medical care to treat these patients,” said David Ojcius, assistant dean for research and co-chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences. The award will provide opportunities for predental and predoctoral dental students to participate in research and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to improve oral pathology diagnosis, Han said.

by Namrata Nayyar, David M. Ojcius, Arthur A. Dugoni.   This commentary describes the changes taking place in dentistry and speculates on improvements that could happen soon. Advances in health care will have an impact on the integration and delivery of oral care; conversely, there is growing acceptance that oral health impacts systemic health. Technological innovations are changing the face of medical care and are quickly becoming integrated into dentistry. Advances in novel antimicrobials, genomics, robotics and artificial intelligence are transforming our ability to diagnose and manage disease.  

by David Vang, Aline Cristina de Abreu Moreira-Souza, Nicholas Zusman, German Moncada, Harmony Matshik Dakafay, Homayon Asadi, David M. Ojcius, Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-da-Silva.  Abstract. Boswellia trees are the source of frankincense, which can be found throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia. Boswellia serrata extract has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial effects. Periodontitis is an oral chronic inflammatory disease that affects nearly half of the US population. We investigated the antimicrobial effects of B. serrata extract on two oral pathogens associated with periodontitis. Using the minimum inhibitory concentration and crystal violet staining methods, we demonstrated that Porphyromonas gingivalis growth and biofilm formation were impaired by treatment with B. serrata extracts. However, there were no significant effects on Fusobacterium nucleatum growth and biofilm formation. Using colony-forming units quantification a...

Study found that intermittent, short-term omission of only the essential amino acid isoleucine from the diet significantly increases stress resistance & extends lifespan in Drosophila.

Highlights • Mice spleen contained a diverse array of microbiotas • Different intensities exercise alters the compositions of the spleen microbiome • Lactobacillus johnsonii  may contribute to the production of Treg cells  

"What's my Research?", organized by David Ojcius. Interdisciplinary presentation at  University of the Pacific  by  chemistry  professor Skylar Carlson and  conservatory  professor Eric Dudley.  Skylar spoke on understanding the role molecules play in nature. Through teamwork and undergraduate research, her team screens natural products for molecules with biological activity, looking for anticancer, antibiotic, or other activity. Eric spoke (and sung) on poly-stylistic practices in singing and the exploration of new musical works at the boundaries of genre, including some work that was nominated recently for a Grammy.

Increasing incidence of fungal infections of recent times requires immediate intervention. Fungal infections are seldom construed at initial stages that intensify the severity of infections and complicate the treatment procedures. Fungal pathogens employ various mechanisms to evade the host immune system and to progress the severity of infections. For the treatment of diverse superficial and systemic infections, antifungal drugs from the available repertoire are administered. However, well documented evidence of fungal resistance to most of the antifungal drugs hampers disease control and poses challenges in antifungal therapy. Several physiological adaptations and genetic mutations followed by their selection in presence of antifungal agents drive the resistance development in fungi. The availability of limited antifungal arsenal, emergence of resistance and biofilm-conferred resistance drives the need for development of novel drugs and alternate approaches for the better treatment ou...