Roles of Periodontal Bacteria-Derived Dihydroceramides in Alzheimer’s Disease Exacerbated by Down Syndrome

The proposed studies will investigate the association of chronic periodontitis with the hallmark pathologic features of Alzheimer’s Disease in individuals with Down Syndrome. More specifically, we will address the role of a new class of dihydroceramide lipids, named phosphoglycerol dihydroceramide (PGDHC), produced by the key periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis in sex-associated pathogenic amyloidogenesis of amyloid precursor protein using mouse models of Down syndrome.