Professor Aaron Weinberg DMD, PhD. Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Former Associate Dean for Research, Case Western Reserve University, School of Dental Medicine
Title: The beta defensin index: A novel dysplasia-associated biomarker for detection of oral cancer and modulation of the tumour microenvironment
Bio: Throughout his research career, Aaron Weinberg has combined his clinical background with molecular and cellular biological approaches to research oral diseases. He has investigated microbial interactions with oral mucosa and subsequent innate responses resulting from these challenges. By studying both sides of this “equation,” his lab was instrumental in discovering human beta defensins (hBD-1, 2, 3), oral epithelial cell derived antimicrobial and immunoregulatory peptides that play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis at the microbial/oral mucosal interface. HBD-3 plays a role in normal wound healing, is induced through activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a process amplified in OSCC, and exhibits pro-tumorigenic properties in the context of dysplasias and oral cancer (a, b, c). Additionally, he has reported on bacterial and fungal resistance to hBD-3-induced cell death; specifically, oral commensals strongly implicated in exacerbation of multiple neoplasias including oral squamous cell carcinoma (d, e), and recently isolated hBD-3 resistant clinical isolates directly from oral squamous cell carcinoma lesions.
His continued NIH funding over the last 24 years includes being the PI of a Program Project (PPG) that investigated oral mucosal immune dysfunction in HIV+ individuals. One of the projects within the PPG focused on identifying dysfunctional proteomic and epigenomic signatures in the oral mucosa of people living with HIV, as well as susceptibility to head and neck cancer in this cohort.
He is currently leading a study to pinpoint hBD-3 as a novel oral dysplasia derived biomarker that, not only detects oral cancer but may contribute to changes in the tumour microenvironment and its microbiota, and could lead to the discovery of new oral cancer progression related biomarkers.
Dr Dimitra Lamprinaki, Research Scientist, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich.
Title: Unravelling the role of host lectins in the interaction of colon cancer associated Fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. with immune cells
Bio: Dimitra Lamprinaki is a post-doctoral research scientist in Prof. Nathalie Juge Group at Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB) in Norwich, UK. DL received her B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Crete in Greece. DL did her PhD in the Juge Group where she explored the mechanisms behind the interaction between gut bacteria polysaccharides and lectins of the host innate immune system. There she discovered the interaction between F. nucleatum ssp. and Siglec-7. This was followed by a joint post-doctoral position in Prof. Lara Mahal and Prof. Matthew Macauley’s Lab at University of Alberta in Canada, on the role of Siglecs and mammalian extracellular vesicle interaction in immune response.
Prof Francesco D’Aiuto, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Periodontology at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute.
Title: Infection or Inflammation? What are the mechanisms linking periodontitis to systemic diseases?
Teaser: A critical review of the available evidence on the association between periodontitis and systemic health outcomes will be provided. There will be a focus on the associations between periodontitis and chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiometabolic disorders, cognitive decline, and cancer. Further discussion on the plausible mechanisms involving infectious and/or inflammatory pathways will be outlined. The overarching aim will be to provide researchers with an up-to-date revision of the observational and experimental evidence as well as of the gaps to focus on for the future.
Bio: Francesco qualified from the University of Naples. Italy in 1997. He attended several post-graduate training courses in periodontology in Italy and Sweden completing his specialty program (MClinDent) at UCL, London in 2008. His research career started with a Clinical research fellowship from the Italian Society of Periodontology (2000) followed by a PhD in clinical periodontology (2005) both at UCL. He received numerous awards including the AAP clinical Research Award (2005), Antony Rizzo Young Investigator Award in (2009), Innovators in Diabetes Award from the UK Charity Diabetes UK (2012) and a Clinical Senior Lectureship from the Department of Health in UK (2010). He was appointed Professor of Periodontology and Head of the Periodontology Unit at UCL in 2017. His research focus is predominantly on the association between periodontal diseases and systemic diseases including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes as well as pathogenesis of periodontitis and innovative therapies.