# Mechanisms of Oral Epithelial Differentiation

> **NIH NIH K08** · ADA SCIENCE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE LLC · 2020 · $81,909

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This application is for a Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) for Dr. Kevin
Byrd. He is currently conducting research into the role of mitotic spindle orientation in oral epithelial
development and has observed that during oral mucosal epithelial development, perpendicular divisions
become more numerous and are essential for differentiation. This K08 will allow Dr. Byrd to 1) become an
expert in oral epithelial differentiation through molecular regulation of mitotic spindle positioning, 2) to conduct
basic science research in vivo in a tissue rarely studied, 3) to gain the skills to utilize ex vivo organotypic
models to describe this phenomenon in human oral epithelial differentiation, 4) to gain the skills necessary to
collaborate and to perform “-omics” approaches in oral epithelial stem cell identification, and 5) to develop an
independent science research career that will allow him to ask questions in collaboration with clinical and basic
scientists. A multidisciplinary team of experts have agreed to provide invaluable support to him upon funding of
this application: 1) Drs. Eric Everett (basic science; dental research), Susan Henning (basic science;
gastrointestinal research), Steven Offenbacher (translational and clinical science, dental research, and Dr.
Ophir Klein (clinician-scientist: GI and dental stem cells), 2) research training by epithelia and oral biology
experts: primary mentor, Dr. Scott Williams and co-mentor, Dr. Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque, and 3) RNA-seq
and bioinformatics training: (Drs. Piotr Mieczkowski, Scott Magness, and Di Wu). These mentors and the
training they make available will provide him with the skills to become a successful, independent investigator.
The paucity of oral epithelial mouse models has resulted in minimal characterization of oral epithelial
differentiation networks, and a poor understanding of oral epithelial stem cells and their niches. Based on his
rapid generation (8-12 weeks total) of an oral epithelia mouse model, Dr. Byrd has already shown that the
mitotic spindle orientation gene LGN (Gpsm2) is essential in promoting differentiation and tissue patterning in
the oral cavity. The pace and specificity in which he can generate new oral epithelial mouse models where few
exist—weeks as opposed to months or years—is unprecedented compared to traditional methods. Dr. Byrd's
research will focus on oral epithelial differentiation, which is critical in understanding how the oral cavity heals
in response to injury. This project will create three novel, oral epithelial mouse models and surrogate ex vivo
human models to assess the role of oriented cell divisions in oral epithelial differentiation (Aim 1 and 2), and
will utilize a unbiased, genetic label retaining cell model to identify and profile quiescent cells from oral basal
epithelial cells (Aim 3). Dr. Byrd's research will inform the basis of a future project on reserve stem cell function
in oral epithelial wou...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10319304
- **Project number:** 7K08DE026537-06
- **Recipient organization:** ADA SCIENCE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Kevin Matthew Byrd
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $81,909
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2020-12-16 → 2020-12-17

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10319304

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10319304, Mechanisms of Oral Epithelial Differentiation (7K08DE026537-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10319304. Licensed CC0.

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