Senior lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dr Yvonne Prince, says it is an “incredible honour” to be awarded the prestigious Self-Initiated Research (SIR) Grant from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) for her work on the oral microbiome.
Prince, a researcher with the SAMRC/CPUT Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, said the grant not only recognises the value of her work but also provides the necessary support to advance scientific knowledge and contribute to improving health outcomes.
“I am excited to embark on this journey and look forward to the positive impact my research will have.”
Prince explained that the oral microbiome is the second largest microbial ecosystem after the gut microbiome, containing more than 700 species of microorganisms. Therefore, the oral cavity is a major gateway to the human body.
“Evidence has shown that any disruption in the diversity of the oral biome can be associated with inflammatory conditions such as periodontitis, diabetes and metabolic syndrome and kidney disease.”
She said the complex mechanisms linking these disorders remain unclear with most studies having been performed outside of Africa.
“Three preliminary studies have been conducted by the primary investigator and supervisors within the research unit. These were carried out on 128 plaque samples, which had been collected between 2014 and 2016. Despite the small sample size, this work demonstrated significant disruptions in the microorganisms residing in the oral cavity of patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome compared to individuals who were normoglycemic or who had no features of metabolic syndrome.
“This implied that disturbances in the diversity of the oral microbiota could lead to an increase in chronic inflammation predisposing patients to low grade inflammatory disorders and the development of cardiovascular traits. Furthermore, factors such as smoking allow certain oral microorganisms to gain dominance and therefore predisposes individuals to the progression of periodontal disease.”
She said the awarding of the SIR grant aims to build on these initial findings by expanding the sample size and investigating other habitats within the oral cavity to fully validate these initial findings. Secondly, it would investigate the effects of lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol on the oral biome. Thirdly, it would investigate if there is an association between the diversity of oral microorganisms and other disorders such as renal disease and the severity of bacterial infections and the final aim would be to translate these findings into improving oral health in the surrounding community.
A primary goal is to enrol and mentor two (PhD and an MSc) candidates who will join the other postgraduate students within the research unit. These students will receive training in the isolation of DNA and RNA as well as expertise in 16S RNA next generation sequencing, and bioinformatics which is a scarce skill in South Africa.
“In addition, CPUT offers several training courses on various aspects of performing research and therefore all students will graduate with the attributes to develop into independent researchers. In addition to training students, young emerging scientists and postdoctoral fellows will be mentored in supervision skills. This will be achieved by involving them as co-supervisors with experienced supervisors.”
A collaboration has been formed with the University of the Western Cape Dental School to contribute to furthering the training of dental and biomedical postgraduate students.
“The cardiometabolic health research unit is committed to transformation and the reduction of gender inequality. This is reflected in the fact that many of the recent graduates are young women of colour. “
Prince will be working with the unit’s director, Prof Tandi Matsha, co-director Prof Glenda Davison while the other collaborators are Prof Manogari Chetty (UWC) and CPUT’s Dr Saarah Davids, Dr Stanton Hector, Dr Shanel Raghubeer and Dr Lisa Graham.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the SAMRC, the SAMRC/CPUT Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit and its directors Prof Tandi Matsha, Assoc Prof Glenda Davison, the laboratory manger and the research staff in the unit.”
