Alexandria, Va., USA – The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have announced the 2014 recipients of the IADR/AADR William J. Gies Awards for Biological Research. The award for Biological Research will be presented at the AADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, March 19, and the Biomaterials & Bioengineering Research and Clinical Research categories at the IADR General Session & Exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa, in June 2014.
These awards, for the best papers published in the IADR/AADR Journal of Dental Research, are presented in three categories: Biological, Biomaterials & Bioengineering and Clinical. The award is named for William J. Gies, the founder of the Journal of Dental Research. Nominations may be made by any person, and the papers to be chosen must describe work which has very significantly advanced knowledge in some aspect of dental research. Papers eligible for consideration are those published during the 12-month period (July-June) immediately preceding the AADR Annual Meeting and IADR General Session. The award consists of a monetary award of $1,000 and a plaque. The Gies Award is open to anyone who publishes in the Journal of Dental Research, the official publication of the IADR/AADR.
The award in the Biological Research category is being presented to Richard P. Darveau, George Hajishengallis and Michael A. Curtis for the paper, “Porphyromonas gingivalis as a Potential Community Activist for Disease,” J Dent Res. 91: 816-820. An extensive analysis of dental plaque samples over the years has led to the identification of “red” complex oral bacteria that have a strong association with each other and with disease. Consequently, these bacteria have been labeled ‘periopathogens’. Studies with one of these bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), have revealed that it contains several different mechanisms that either impede or modulate periodontal protective mechanisms. In a mouse model of periodontitis, it has been shown that modulation of complement function by P. gingivalis facilitates a significant change in both the amount and composition of the normal oral microbiotia. This altered oral commensal microbiota is responsible for pathologic bone loss in the mouse. Thus, P. gingivalis creates a dysbiosis between the host and dental plaque, and this may represent one mechanism by which periodontitis can be initiated. The authors of this study therefore termed P. gingivalis a keystone pathogen.
The William J. Gies Awards, sponsored by J. Morita, is named for William J. Gies, the founder of the IADR/AADR Journal of Dental Research. The award consists of a monetary prize and a plaque. The Gies Award is open to anyone who publishes in the Journal of Dental Research, the official publication of the IADR/AADR.
