# In vitro 3D human gingival tissue model to study oral microbiome

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL · 2021 · $174,223

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The oral cavity contains different microenvironments, i.e. the non-shedding surface of the teeth and the
epithelial mucosa, where oral barriers and microbial communities coexist. The interactions and balances
between these two communities are responsible for oral tissue homeostasis or dysbiosis, that ultimately
dictate health or disease. Disruption of this equilibrium is the first necessary step towards chronic
inflammation and permanent tissue damage in the case of chronic periodontitis. Current experimental
animal and in vitro models do not fully resemble the human condition. To improve clinical outcomes and
design effective treatments, new humanized experimental tools are needed to further elucidate these initial
host-pathogens unbalances. Previously developed in vitro systems have been used to test irritant
responses of new dental materials, dentifrices, and oral care consumer products, but are unable to maintain
the complexity of the oral pathogen community organization, due to the lack of the native oxygen and
metabolic conditions. In addition, host saliva contributes to the maintenance of the overall oral system
stability by buffering the oral environment, providing nutrition to the different communities and delivering
antimicrobial features. Therefore, the recapitulation of physiological oral conditions, including oxygen
gradients, physiological shear stress, and buffering from saliva will enhance the functions of a humanized
sustained gingival tissue model to study initial host-pathogen interactions in vitro. We are proposing to
design a physiological culture system based on artificial saliva in order to support long-term culture after
inoculation with oral microbiota derived from healthy patients. We will replicate the stability of the ecosystem
and evaluate the contribution of host saliva to buffer and provide nutrition to the oral community, as well as
physiological shear stress that contributes to the maturation and maintenance of a healthy epithelium. The
3D anatomical gingival tissue model has been shown to modulate the production of a range of cytokines
and chemokines in response to interactions with inoculated plaque samples from healthy patients. To
assess the clinical relevance of this response, we will study the production of selected cytokines under
different conditions; response to the addition of plaque derived from healthy and diseased (gingivitis)
patients in comparison to crevicular fluid extracted from the same pool of patients. The efforts will elucidate
the initial interactions and balances between these two communities that are responsible for the oral tissue
homeostasis or dysbiosis, that ultimately dictates healthy or diseased tissue states. The interdisciplinary
team involved in the project has established collaborative activities and includes material scientists, tissue
engineers, microbiologists, and periodontists. They are experts in host-material interactions, advanced in
vitro tissue and cultu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10303383
- **Project number:** 1R03DE030224-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL
- **Principal Investigator:** Chiara Ghezzi
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $174,223
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10303383

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10303383, In vitro 3D human gingival tissue model to study oral microbiome (1R03DE030224-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10303383. Licensed CC0.

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