Diane Peters

Researcher puts rare disease under the atomic force microscope

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:37:13 +0000

Researcher puts rare disease under the atomic force microscope

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 10/19/2023 - 14:37

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Laurent Bozec, a professor in the Faculty of Dentistry, is keen to help the millions of patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, for which there is no current pharmacological treatment (photo by Jeff Comber)

Diane Peters

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Our Community

Sinai Health

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Faculty of Dentistry

Research & Innovation

University Health Network

Subheadline

Laurent Bozec is on the hunt for biomarkers associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes collagen dysfunction

Laurent Bozec, a professor in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, is keen to help patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – a group of genetic disorders in which collagen dysfunction can cause stretchy and fragile skin, joint hypermobility and a range of oral, facial and dental problems.

The syndrome affects 1.5 million people worldwide, while another 225 million have symptoms but no formal diagnosis.

Working with University Health Network (UHN) physician and Temerty Faculty of Medicine faculty member Nimish Mittal, Bozec has been looking at skin samples of patients to find a biomarker for the disease.

"I love looking at damaged collagen,” says Bozec, who uses atomic force microscopy to look at tissues at what he calls the nanometrology level.

His lab analyzes samples at 1,000 to 10,000 times higher resolution than normal histology – always with an eye to clinical implications.

Bozec ultimately hopes to help patients with the rare disease thanks to a partnership with the GoodHope Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Clinic at UHN – starting with finding ways to improve diagnoses.

At present, most people take an average of 15 years to get a diagnosis, although a small subgroup can be identified with a genetic test.

“So, that’s 15 years where your health insurance is not going to pick up the tab. Nobody believes that they are having these issues; people get told to stop complaining,” says Bozec, who is cross-appointed to the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and at Sinai Health.

The lab of Professor Laurent Bozec, right, has developed unique expertise to study the biophysics of connective tissue disorders and collagen engineering using primarily atomic force microscopy (photo by Jeff Comber)

After Bozec finds a diagnostic biomarker, he plans to influence collagen using peptides and find personalized, local treatments to help with, say, a wound or a loose tooth. Currently, there are no pharmacological treatments for Ehlers-Danlos, leaving patients rely on things like physiotherapy to stay as well as possible.

Bozec also researches oral cancer, using collagen matrix changes to predict which lesions will lead to cancer. And his lab is trying to prevent the degradation of the collagen around teeth during routine treatments such as root canals.

His approach to scaffolding collagen during these dental processes helps inform his work on treating Ehlers-Danlos. In turn, Bozec expects findings related to diagnosing and treating this rare disease to feed back into other research.

Because patients with Ehlers-Danlos take longer to heal after providing a sample, a rigorous review preceded approval of the research effort, Bozec says.

“I hope we can find some solutions for these patients,” Ehlers-Danlos says. “Even if we can’t, we will still have done good research that has the potential to help others.”

U of T dentistry grad preserves history of Underground Railroad

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:40:54 +0000

U of T dentistry grad preserves history of Underground Railroad

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/11/2022 - 13:40

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Bryan Walls, a U of T dentistry grad who practised in Windsor, founded a museum and historic site on a farm that belonged to his family for generations and served as a stop on the Underground Railroad (photo by Anna Walls)

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Bryan Walls credits his training in dentistry at the University of Toronto with giving him the skills and stability to pursue his life's passion: preserving the history of the Underground Railroad.

Walls, who practised dentistry in Windsor, founded the John Freeman Walls Underground Railroad Museum, named after his great-great-grandfather who fled slavery in North Carolina. The museum is in Emeryville, Ont., just southeast of Windsor, on a farm that had been in his family for generations and served as a terminal on the Underground Railroad.

“If it wasn’t for dentistry, I never would have been able to get involved in this aspect of the history of Canada,” said Walls, a recipient of the Order of Ontario and Order of Canada.

“I used the skills I learned in dentistry – the people skills and the skills of treating people with mutual respect and thinking in terms of reconciliation – to do this work. It became the purpose of my life: preserving, protecting and promoting this history that was the first great freedom movement in the Americas,” he added.

Walls tells the story of his great-great-grandparents John and Jane's journey from Troublesome Creek, N.C. to Ontario on the Underground Railroad in the self-published historical novel, The Road That Led To Somewhere (1980).

He grew up outside Windsor. His “aunt” Stella (actually his cousin) was considered the family griot, a West African term for storyteller and keeper of the family's history. She lived on the family farm and shared tales of when it served as a final stop on the Underground Railroad.

In particular, Stella told stories about John and Jane Freeman Walls, Bryan's biracial great-great-grandparents who fled a plantation. Jane posed as John's owner on their journey to avoid capture. When they reached southern Ontario, they helped former slaves cross the border by letting them stay at their farm.

In his youth, Walls excelled at school. A local dentist took an interest in his future. When Roy Ellis, dean of U of T's Faculty of Dentistry from 1947 to 1969, visited Windsor to speak and recruit students, the dentist invited Walls.

“He left a really positive impression on my heart and mind,” Walls said of Ellis's lecture. The event – and Walls' admiration for his own dentist – put him on the path to study dentistry in university.

Windsor's only Black dentist at the time mentored the young Walls, counselling him on what courses to take and skills to develop while doing his undergraduate degree at the University of Windsor. It worked: Walls was admitted to the University of Toronto class of 1973.

Dental school was a “stimulating mental, physical and spiritual experience,” Walls said.

“I realized it was more than a tooth profession, it was a people profession.”

After graduation, Walls returned to Windsor to practice. Just three years later, his cousin Stella came into his office, crying, and said her mom had sold the farm. Walls was stunned.

He bought the farm back from the new buyer for $40,000 – $5,000 above the purchase price – while explaining the historical significance of the site. After Walls told his 92-year-old aunt he had bought back the family farm, she told him about artifacts in the attic, including an old letter asking John and Jane to help an American slave obtain freedom.

Although Walls was busy with work and raising a family – he and his wife Anna have five kids – he wrote his novel in 1980 and opened the historic site five years later.

In 1991, a car accident left Walls with life-altering injuries, including fractured vertebrae, that forced him to hang up his dental instruments. “My doctor ordered me to stop practising dentistry,” he said.

“I got down on my knees and prayed – and here I am.”

Along with serving as deacon of a local church, he devoted time to the museum and telling the history of the Underground Railroad. Walls has received many awards and distinctions for his efforts, including an Award of Distinction from the Faculty of Dentistry, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Ontario Black History Society Mathieu Da Costa Award.

While Walls misses working with patients, he says he's glad his profession enabled him to help preserve an important chapter of his family's – and Canadian – history.

These four U of T Dentistry graduates set their sights on research and teaching

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:21:04 +0000

These four U of T Dentistry graduates set their sights on research and teaching

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 11/15/2021 - 12:21

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Clockwise from top left: Hebatullah Hussein, Alice (Fang-Chi) Li, Justin Bubola and Nashat Cassim.

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For some students, graduate school is a means to jump start their careers. But others plan to stay in academia to do research, teach and push their specialty forward.

Justin Bubola, a graduate of the University of Toronto's master's program in oral pathology and oral medicine, falls into the latter category.

“I reached my goal,” says Bubola, who recently joined the Faculty of Dentistry as a part-time assistant professor, teaching stream. He's balancing his job, which entails research and teaching pathology to undergraduate and graduate students, with a few days of private practice each week.

Bubola completed a doctor of dental surgery degree from Western University before enrolling in a four-year master's program at U of T that included a hospital residency, research and teaching. Graduate school prepared him well for his busy schedule as a teacher, researcher and clinician. “It was a very intense program with so many facets to it,” he says.

“During the program I got a lot of exposure to teaching dental students and I really developed a passion for teaching,” he adds.

In addition to writing his Canadian board and fellowship examinations, Bubola passed American exams with flying colours, earning the William G. Shafer award for attaining the highest score on the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology's fellowship examination.

For Hebatullah Hussein, returning to university as a faculty member instead of a student has long been the plan. The dentistry PhD graduate came to U of T in 2016 on a scholarship from Egypt. She received funding to complete her PhD and return to teach at her alma mater, Ain Shams University in Cairo.

“Before I came here, doing cutting-edge, basic science research there [at Ain Shams University] was not feasible,” Hussein says. “I will go back and try to apply what I have learned here.”

In Professor Anil Kishen’s lab, Hussein researched nanotechnology-based root canal materials and host-bacterial interactions.

“He’s like a coach,” Hussein says of her supervisor. “He inspires me in how I should be mentoring my own students later on.” She’s now completing a post-doc at U of T, expecting to head back to Egypt in a year.

Alice (Fang-Chi) Li has also learned about the art of teaching through doing research with Kishen. The PhD and master's in endodontics graduate splits her time between working as an associate at a practice in Toronto, as a clinical instructor at U of T's dentistry faculty and as a postdoctoral researcher in Kishen's lab. “When I learn from him, I always think, 'Oh, I didn’t know this could be so clear” she says. “He’s just born to be a teacher.”

Her master's, which she obtained last fall, allows her to practice as an endodontist (the specialty concerned with diseases of the pulp) in Canada. “To be well trained in both research and clinically helps me to be a well-rounded endodontist,” she says.

During her PhD, Li focused on using bioengineered nanoparticles for enhancing the root dentin in root-canal treated teeth, but she pivoted to looking at inflammation and wound healing on the cellular level. “It feels like I’ve broadened my skills into other aspects of research,” she says.

While some have long known they wanted to enter academia, Nashat Cassim discovered a passion for research and teaching later. The doctor of dental surgery and master of science in pediatric dentistry graduate did a one-week rotation at SickKids in the last year of his first degree, followed by a one-year residency at the hospital, that reinforced his interest in children's oral health.

Cassim thought he wasn't interested in research until he began a project looking at dental students' experiences treating patients with developmental disabilities (under the purview of pediatric dentistry).

“I didn’t know I was interested in research until I started doing research that interested me,” Cassim says. “I also realized I’m passionate about education.” His new part-time position as an assistant professor, teaching stream in the dentistry faculty allows him to work closely with students while doing research on dental education.

Cassim splits his time teaching, working in private practice and serving as a staff dentist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Blending teaching, research and treating patients helps Cassim stay up to date on the latest developments in his field, he says. “You’re a better clinician if you have a solid foundation of what’s new. When you have that foot in the academic space, it makes you a more informed practitioner.”

New U of T satellite dental clinic welcomes its first patients

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:55:53 +0000

New U of T satellite dental clinic welcomes its first patients

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 10/12/2021 - 09:55

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(Photo by Jeff Comber)

Diane Peters

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Dentistry

A new, state-of-the-art satellite dental clinic operated by the University of Toronto's Faculty of Dentistry is helping students gain critical skills while providing lower-cost care for patients.

“These rooms are large and beauitfully coloured,” said Catherine Crowe, an artist who had a cavity filled at the clinic at 777 Bay St. in one of its 41 enclosed operatories.

U of T's Faculty of Dentistry, the first and largest of its kind in Canada, operates two clinics where third- and fourth-year doctor of dental surgery students see 15,000 patients each year under the supervision of a licensed dentist – typically at just 30 per cent of the cost charged in private practices.

Students will be carrying out much of their clinical care at the new site in the College Park complex, which has enclosed operatories that allow for aerosol-generating procedures under current COVID-19 regulations. Patients will alternate between the Bay St. clinic and the original site at 124 Edward St. depending on the type of treatment they are due to receive.

At the 15,000-square foot Bay St. clinic, glass walls preserve sightlines between instructors and students. Fourth-year student Rami Alsabbagh said a hand gesture was often enough to get the instructor’s attention at the new clinic.

Students can also signal for an instructor by flicking a switch that turns on a red light above the operatory's door on the outside. James Posluns, director of clinical affairs and assistant professor, teaching stream in the faculty, said the switch is a low-tech and effective way for students to call their supervisor.

The satellite clinic offers a view of the city that creates a nice atmosphere for both patients and students. “It definitely feels like more of a private dentistry environment,” said Alsabbagh.

The new clinic also keeps the noise to a minimum. “The one thing that struck me when I went over is how quiet it is in there,” Posluns said. “You don’t hear all those dental drills.” When he showed up for work one morning, he thought treatments hadn't started yet. They had, but he couldn't hear them.

For Alsabbagh, the new space means more opportunities to treat patients. “I’m just trying to get in time working on endodontics and crowns. It’s been a struggle to get through all the restorative treatments,” he said.

Posluns agrees that the top priority for the new clinic is supporting students in getting patient time working with dental drills. “That box is really checked by this new clinic. We’re giving them the clinical experience they need to graduate.”

The clinic will also serve as a swing space during planned renovations at 124 Edward St.

U of T Faculty of Dentistry set to open satellite clinic this fall

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:27:37 +0000

U of T Faculty of Dentistry set to open satellite clinic this fall

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 07/21/2021 - 09:27

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The Faculty of Dentistry's new 15,000-square foot satellite clinic at 777 Bay Street aims to enhance the experience of patients and the education experience for students (renderings courtesy of Saccoccio Weppler Architects Inc)

Diane Peters

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Dentistry

Construction is well underway at a new satellite clinic for the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry.

The 15,000-square foot clinic is scheduled to open in early September and will be located at 777 Bay Street – just steps from the main dentistry building on Edward Street.

Featuring 41 enclosed operatories, the new facility will enhance the patient experience and enrich clinical education.

“At 777 Bay we expect to do mainly aerosol-generating procedures, such as more complex endodontics and restorative work,” says James Posluns, the faculty’s director of clinical affairs.

Dentistry patients will likely find themselves visiting both locations. That might mean having assessments on Edward Street, as well as some treatment – with a visit to the new clinic at some point in their treatment plan.

Posluns says staff and students will work hard to clearly communicate with patients and make sure they know where they’re supposed to be.

While the new clinic has some sterilization equipment, the majority of it will be located at 124 Edward Street, where a new medical device reprocessing facility will be operational in the fall. Staff, including Cliff McHugh, who just joined the Faculty of Dentistry as manager of this new facility, are creating a plan to efficiently move instruments between the two facilities.

Posluns says students will be particularly keen to see patients at the new location.

“Over at 777, it’s a brand new clinic. It’ll be efficient and attractive. We are all excited to get in there and get to work.”

Danielle Churchill, manager of building operations and services for the faculty, agrees.

“There’s plenty of glass and everything looks very modern.” she says. “It’s very clean looking and bright. It will be a place that provides wonderful patient comfort while providing the students with a facility that looks in keeping with what they’ll experience in practice.”

Another benefit of the new satellite clinic is that the location will operate as a swing space when Clinic 2 and the stimulation lab undergo renovations in the coming years.

Churchill says she sees the space as serving as a testing ground to see which design aspects work best. “It’s like a miniature big clinic – a testing bed for anything that’s new and that’s going to come along at the Faculty site.”

While construction during the pandemic has been a challenge for many projects, Churchill says work on the clinic has, so far, been moving along without a hitch.

“There are so many unknowns in construction generally, but this year has been particularly interesting,” she says noting the supply issues faced by many builders.

Churchill says dental equipment will be installed at the facility in mid-August, with the clinic set to open in time for student rotations in the early fall.