# Validation of a novel rodent Candida-associated denture stomatitis model for studying pathogenesis and therapeutic management

> **NIH VA I21** · SOUTH TEXAS VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Dentures are one of the most widely used appliances by our aging veterans. Unfortunately, veterans wearing
dentures often develop Candida-associated denture stomatitis (CADS), a common recurring disease that affects
up to 67% of denture wearers due to microbial colonization and biofilm formation of the denture surface. Further,
other dental diseases, oral mucosal and systemic infections, and even death often result from this disease.
The establishment of a small animal (i.e. rodent) model for studying CADS has been slowed by a number of
challenges which include: (1) the design and fabrication of custom dentures in sufficient numbers for in vivo
studies, and (2) the relative natural resistance of rodents to Candida infection. Previously described models have
often used severely immunocompromised animals which do not adequately replicate the condition of patients in
the clinic and fail to reproducibly form biofilms on oral tissues, a major aspect of CADS. Moreover, none of the
prior models have been able to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of anticandidal medications over extended
periods of time.
Our lab recently developed a new approach for manufacturing rat dentures that uses Computer-Aided Design
(CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) methods, so that large quantities of dentures with uniform
properties/characteristics can be produced. After fabrication, a small hole is drilled into the denture so that
reagents and/or microorganisms can be injected/inoculated into the space between the denture and palate. The
denture is subsequently fitted and secured to the rat maxilla with dental cement. To initiate the development of
CADS, rats are repeatedly injected with Candida (every 2-3 days; PBS was used as a control) through the hole
in the denture and fed a liquid diet. Two Candida strains, SC5314 and tetO-UME6 have been used in pilot studies
to create the infection. After 4 weeks, the palatal mucosa of animals infected with SC5314 display a slight red
color, while animals infected with tetO-UME6 are densely colonized with fungus. In Candida inoculated rats,
large amounts of Candida are recovered from the dentures and palatal tissues with lower amounts from tongue
and buccal mucosa. No Candida has been recovered from the oral cavity of control groups and/or major organs
in both the locally inoculated and control groups. Histological studies revealed the presence of hyphae in palatal
mucosa, confirming that our model is able to replicate the palatal manifestations of Candida invasion, as seen
in denture wearers with CADS. We have also demonstrated the feasibility of a new cell-binding anticandidal drug
delivery system in vitro. This novel system will be used to validate the utility of the optimized rat CADS model.
The proposed studies will build upon these preliminary data and further optimize and validate this novel rat CADS
model. The specific aims are to: (1) optimize the rat CADS model, and (2) validate the opti...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10721825
- **Project number:** 5I21BX005904-02
- **Recipient organization:** SOUTH TEXAS VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** CHIH-KO YEH
- **Activity code:** I21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-10-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10721825

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10721825, Validation of a novel rodent Candida-associated denture stomatitis model for studying pathogenesis and therapeutic management (5I21BX005904-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10721825. Licensed CC0.

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