# Immunometabolic Regulation of MDSCs in Periodontitis

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2024 · $608,665

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease affecting over half of the US adult population and
characterized by destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth. Although there is a clear relationship
between increased obesity and periodontal disease incidence, the mechanisms that underpin the links between
these two conditions are not completely understood. Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation in response to
obesity, referred to as metainflammation, is a consequence of immune dysregulation that results from the
continuous exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide and saturated free fatty acids under hyperglycemic
conditions. Obesity is known to cause the expansion of immature myeloid cells, termed myeloid-derived
suppressor cell (MDSC) populations, which can differentiate into mature osteoclasts, resulting in alveolar bone
loss. In this application, it is hypothesized that MDSC expansion and mobilization contribute towards obesity-
associated periodontitis through MDSC metabolic reprograming with increased osteoclastic capacity contributing
towards alveolar bone loss. The aims outlined in this application will address questions to determine: 1) the
mechanisms that govern obesity-directed MDSC subpopulation mobilization and function in the periodontal
microenvironment; 2) how obesity or HFD, independent of obesity, contributes toward M-MDSC osteoclastogenic
reprogramming potential, and 3) if obesity status contributes towards differences in MDSC subpopulations in
human periodontal disease. At the conclusion of these studies, new evidence will be provided related to the
cellular mechanisms engaged during diet-induced obesity that contribute towards periodontal disease
susceptibility and progression through MDSC populations in mice and humans.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10906085
- **Project number:** 5R01DE032310-03
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** Keith L Kirkwood
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $608,665
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-19 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10906085

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10906085, Immunometabolic Regulation of MDSCs in Periodontitis (5R01DE032310-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10906085. Licensed CC0.

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