Research
Keywords
- microbiome, oral health, host-microbe interaction, metabolism, electronic cigarette, pancreatic cancer, gut-brain axis, toxic exposures
Human body is made up of approximate ten trillion cells, but harbors hundred trillion of bacteria. Human genome has already >100 genes that are jumped from microbial world around us. In parallel, everything from the food we eat to the way we’re born influences the species of bacteria that take up residence in our bodies. Human ‘microbiome’ hence has a huge impact on our health, from our ability to digest food to more intricate responses in disease progression. NIH launched the Human Microbiome Project in 2007 to improve our understanding about the microbial communities that live in and on our bodies and impact our quality of life. Direct causal effects of human microbiome has already been linked to a host of diseases, including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, preterm birth and Urinary Tract Infections. Evidences are exponentially increasing suggesting connections between the oral/gut microbiome and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiac disease and pancreatic cancer. At Department of Molecular pathobiology we are focused on to determine how direct, causal and indirect, unintentional associations with the microbiome influences inflammation and host response.
Our laboratory pursues three major non-overlapping avenues
1. Modulation of oral microenvironment by E-cigarette aerosol mixtures
Project # 5R01DE025992-02
E-cigs have been marketed as a safer alternative to tobacco smoke. E-cigs aerosol contains nicotine and other toxic compounds which is harmful to the body and is associated with toxicity and addiction. Currently, little is known to evaluate the safety of e-cig on public health. Our proposal will improve the understanding of adverse effects of e-cig aerosol on oral mucosa and microbiome.
2. Gut Microbiome and Pancreatic cancer
We postulate that specific pathogenic gut bacteria drive pancreatic carcinogenesis in at-risk individuals via TLR activation.
- Regulation of Pancreatic Oncogenesis by the Gut Microbiome
Project # 5R01CA206105 - Translational Team Science Award
3. Gut Microbiome and children health
- Identifying Environmental Contributors to Crohn's Disease. 1911-03329 Helmsley Foundation
- Early Life Stress and the Environmental Origins of Disease: a Population-based Prospective Longitudinal Study of Children in Rural Poverty (ECHO) 7UH3OD023332-04
Translational Research
Co-founder of Periomicscare and Oris Biologics
- A novel remedy for periodontal bone loss
Goal of the Study: to develop a formulation with a small compound to reduce inflammation and alveolar bone loss in periodontitis 1R41DE028212 - Modulation of the gut microbiome to enhance efficacy of immunotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Goal of the Study: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the third most lethal cancer in the United States and accounts for 85% of all pancreatic malignancies. The proposed studies will develop new microbiome based therapeutic approaches for treating PDA. R41 CA250892