USA: The National Institute of Aging, part of the National Institute of Health has offered NYU Dentistry a $3.1 million grant and conduct research on Periodontitis and Alzheimer's.
The studies shall look into Periodontitis, a chronic inflammation of the gums, eventually leading to one loss and a growing health concern in geriatric patients, Alzheimer's. The research shall analyse whether Periodontitis contributes towards the pathogenesis of Alzehimers.
“Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crisis, but we still have limited knowledge about how the disease develops. We’re trying to understand if and how periodontitis promotes the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s, which could offer clues on how to treat or prevent the disease,” said Xin Li, PhD, professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry and principal investigator on the new grant.
Li and his team hypothesize that the by-product of Peridontitis, succinate, and its rising levels contribute towards neurodegeneration which may ultimately become a causative factor, leading to Alzheimer's disease