Epithelial cells undergo continuous maturation and differentiation as they move from the proliferative layer to the body surface. Some questions being addressed are the role of profilaggrin, its enzymatic conversion to filaggrin, the function of filaggrin and relationship to apoptosis during differentiation. Additional studies emphasize alteration of filaggrin expression in genetic disorders of keratinization. A new area of investigation in this laboratory is the expression of antimicrobial peptides as part of epithelial barriers and their role in the normal innate defenses of oral mucosa. Regulation of antimicrobial peptides expression by bacterial exposure, the epithelial cell signaling pathways, and the role of these peptides in oral health and disease are under investigation.
Studies utilize biochemical methods, cell culture, and molecular genetics.