# Commensal modulation of Peri-implant Microbiome Dysbiosis via Veillonella parvula

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · 2022 · $461,607

## Abstract

Project Summary
Peri-implantitis is a prevalent, destructive, inflammatory disease that leads to loss of jawbone around dental
implants and impairments in oral health-related quality of life. It poses a public health concern because bone
loss progresses at a rapid rate and does not respond therapeutically to conventional periodontal antibacterial
therapies. Multiple human studies have firmly established that implant hygiene and tribocorrosion generate
implant degradation products, such as titanium microparticles, which are associated with inflammation in a
large fraction of peri-implantitis cases, i.e., Titanium (Ti)-mediated peri-implantitis. While it is well documented
that titanium microparticles alter peri-implant immune surveillance primarily by inducing oxidative stress, the
effects that these changes have on the peri-implant microbiome have not been adequately investigated.
The proposed research aims to investigate the genetic mechanisms employed by Veillonella parvula, a
bridging microorganism in oral biofilms, to survive and cross-protect oral pathogens in response to
environmental oxidative stress. Our preliminary studies demonstrated that increased free titanium levels in
peri-implant plaque are associated with a significant reduction in the biodiversity of the peri-implant biofilms
that is coupled with the overgrowth of V. parvula. Strong preliminary data point to an antioxidant catalase
enzyme encoded by the katA gene as being a key survival system that enables V. parvula’s survival while
most peri-implant commensal bacteria are depleted by Titanium-mediated oxidative burst. Importantly,
Veillonella demonstrates widespread mutualism with oral pathogens, such as P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum
and its catalase protects the latter from oxidative damage suggesting a community-level regulatory role. In this
project, we will determine (i) the exact mechanisms used by V. parvula to survive oxidative stress, (ii) the role
of katA and other key antioxidant enzymes in modulating biofilm oxidative tolerance, and (iii) the ability of oral
pathogens to leverage Veillonella’s katA to colonize and survive in the oral mucosa soft tissue barrier during Ti-
mediated inflammation. The long-term goal of this work is to identify the drivers of microbiome dysbiosis in
peri-implantitis and to develop efficacious antimicrobial strategies for the management of peri-implant
diseases. The objective of the proposed work is to assess the hypothesis that survival mechanisms of
commensal Veillonella spp., which enable their overgrowth in this niche are leveraged by oral pathogens to
colonize peri-implant microbial communities and lead to clinical disease. The proposed objective will be
completed in two main Aims: 1) to identify how titanium-mediated inflammation promotes V. parvula
overgrowth, and 2) to determine the extent to which V. parvula alters polymicrobial infection course in vivo.
These findings will provide important insights in the role of oral commensa...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10423721
- **Project number:** 1R01DE031746-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Georgios Kotsakis
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $461,607
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10423721

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10423721, Commensal modulation of Peri-implant Microbiome Dysbiosis via Veillonella parvula (1R01DE031746-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10423721. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*