Identification of new molecular biomarkers with high diagnostic accuracy to detect untreated periodontitis and its response to treatment

This project fits into the scientific-technical thematic priority of the AES 2021 entitled “Omic technologies as an instrumental basis on which to promote research in the health area, and more particularly in personalized health", being included in the priority line: “Improvements in the processes of prevention, prediction, diagnosis and monitoring of diseases and monitoring of the therapeutic response”.

The following objectives are proposed: Analyze and compare the biological processes and functional mechanisms of salivary proteomes, as well as the differential expression of proteins, associated with health and untreated and treated periodontitis. Identify and validate new salivary biomarkers for the diagnoses of periodontitis, defining their corresponding predictive models and diagnostics thresholds. To analyze the influence of smoking on salivary proteomes associated with health and untreated and treated periodontitis, evaluating its impact on the diagnostic capacity of salivary biomarkers.

Five methodological phases are established: Obtaining salivary samples in controls and periodontal patients before and after a basic treatment; qualitative and quantitative proteomics using the SWATH-MS method; quantification of selected biomarkers with greater diagnostic capacity using ELISA techniques; bioinformatic analysis of proteomic data / biostatistical analysis (including diagnostic predictive modeling) and biological / clinical interpretation of the results.

Objectives

The main objective of the project is to identify new molecular biomarkers associated with periodontitis, applying novel quantitative proteomics techniques such as the SWATH-MS method and analyzing the diagnostic capacity of these molecules for the detection of untreated periodontitis and its response to treatment.

Subsequently, through the application of ELISA techniques, the molecular biomarkers with greater diagnostic capacity obtained from proteomic analyzes will be validated. The final purpose is to obtain adequate and sufficient information that allows us in a next step to face the construction of marketable diagnostic kits.