The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) awarded a $295,600 Project Grant under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121) to the University of British Columbia (UBC) for a study titled "The Adult Leopard Gecko, an Emerging, Unconventional Experimental Model for Dental Research". The 2-year grant aims to gain fundamental insights into the processes of tooth generation and loss using the leopard gecko as an innovative biomedical research model. Key research objectives include investigating the mechanisms driving tooth eruption and tooth resorption, which are critical to understanding human dental conditions such as failure of eruption and premature tooth loss. The research team, which includes an interdisciplinary group of dental, developmental biology, and mathematical modeling experts, will leverage the unique advantages of the leopard gecko model to conduct pioneering experiments and develop advanced analytical techniques. The findings from this project are expected to translate to improved treatments for various human dental and skeletal disorders.
Generated 2/25/25, 5:37 AM