Dr. Noel Childers
Research Summary for Dr. Noel Childers
Current studies involve investigations aimed at identifying safe and effective mucosal immunization delivery systems. Specifically, studies examine the characteristics of liposomes that are important in potentiating immune responses to orally or nasally administered S. mutans antigens. Following animals studies of the efficacy of liposomal S. mutans antigen vaccines, studies have been initiated for human FDA Phase I clinical trials studying the safety and immunogenicity of liposomal oral and nasal immunization. The overall goal of these studies is to identify a safe and effective immunization strategy, which is protective against dental caries.
Clinical research interests also include studies to determine risk factors for oral complications in children with cancer and HIV infection. These studies have assessed various clinical and immunological factors involved in the development of oral lesions in medically compromised children. The goal of this research is to develop and test protocols that will prevent the occurrence or severity of oral complications in children identified to be at risk.
Recently, research efforts have involved assessment of the prevalence of dental disease in children as related pathogenicity of dental caries and access to care. Studies are aimed at defining important characteristics of MS infections regarding their clonal development and temporal stability within dental plaque biofilms in humans. The purpose of the studies proposed is to investigate the host/parasite relationship important in the pathogenesis and epidemiology of dental caries in high caries risk population of families and children corresponding with important tooth eruption events (i.e., primary and permanent molar teeth) associated with caries. This study is proposed to be carried out in the “Black belt” of
Recent Publications:
- Hsu, K-L, Osgood, R.C., Cutter, Gary R., Childers, N.K. 2010. Variability of Two Plaque Sampling Methods in Quantitation of Streptococcus mutans. Caries Res. Vol. 44 (2): 160-164.
- Hollowell, WW, Childers NK. 2007. A New Threat to Adolescent Oral Health: The Grill. Pediatr Dent. Vol. 29 (4):320-322.
- Cheon, K., Moser, S.A., Whiddon, J., Osgood, R.C., Momeni, S., Ruby, J.D., Cutter, G.R., Allison, D.B., Childers, N.K. 2011. Genetic diversity of plaque mutans streptococci with rep-PCR. J Dent Res. Vol. 90 (3): 331-5.
- • Childers, Noel, Osgood, Robert, Hsu, Kuei-Ling, Manmontri, Chanika, Momeni, Stephanie, Mahtani, Harry, Cutter, Gary, Ruby, John. 2011. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for enumeration of Streptococcus mutans from oral samples. Eur J Oral Sci. In Press.
- Dasanayake, AP, Li Y, Chhun N, Bronstein J, Childers NK. 2007. Challenges Faced by Minority Children in Obtaining Dental Care. J Health Care Poor Underserved Vol. 18:779-788.
- Mitchell SC, Ruby JD, Moser S, Momeni S, Smith A, Childers NK. 2009. Maternal Transmission of Mutans Streptococcus in Severe-Early Childhood Caries. Pediatr Dent. Vol. 31:117-125.
- Moser, SA, Mitchell SC, Ruby JD, Momeni S, Osgood RC, Whiddon J, Childers NK. 2010. Repetitive Extragenic Palindromic PCR for Study of Streptococcus mutans Diversity and Transmission in Human Populations. J Clin Microbiol Vol. 48 (2):599-602.