Townsend, Jessica; Freitas, Claudia; Weber, Scott; Cardon, Dallin (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Weber, Scott (Brigham Young University / Life Sciences, Microbiology and Molecular Biology)
The World Health Organization reported in 2016 that oral diseases affected half of the world's population. Oral diseases are due to poor oral hygiene and tobacco use which can develop into periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is caused by an immune response to microbial challenge, which initiates an invasion of lymphocytes and other single-nucleated cells to the site of inflammation in the mouth that can cause tooth loss and is a risk factor for heart and lung disease. Patients with severe periodontitis have increased auto-reactive B lymphocytes that express the CD5 co-receptor and these cells are influenced by T cells. We propose to investigate the relationship between oral inflammation, CD5, and the T helper immune response. This will be done by comparing oral inflammation in mice with and without CD5. CD5 is a T cell co-receptor that regulates T cell development and function and we hypothesize CD5 plays an important role in periodontal disease. We will test this hypothesis by co-culturing T cells expressing or lacking CD5 with oral mucosal or gingival epithelial cells that have been exposed to LPS (lipopolysaccharide, a major component of gram-negative bacteria's wall) and will exam differences in cell number, T cell subtype, and cell function.