Frank G. Oppenheim, DMD, DDS, PhD
Emeritus Professor
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Translational Dental Medicine

PhD, Boston University
DMD, Boston University
DDS, University of Zurich
CAGS, Boston University



The work of my laboratory focuses on the elucidation of structure and function of salivary proteins, which play important role in host defense mechanisms. Structural analysis, peptide biomimetics employing solid phase peptide synthesis and recombinant expression methods are being used in the identification of functional domains within proteins. Functional investigations comprise mechanisms related to anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and mineral homeostasis. Emphasis on these processes is aimed at understanding the basic physiology of hard and soft tissue protection in the oral environment. Proteins such as the histatins, the proline-rich proteins and statherin are examples of proteins unique to the oral cavity. For example, the discovery of the histatin protein family showed that these small basic proteins are rich in histidine, exhibit anti-microbial properties, contain specific functional domains, and are able to kill yeasts by entering cells and target mitochondria. The mechanisms of cell death is being studied. and it has been shown that the killing effect of histatins is related to the inhibition of the respiratory chain leading to the formation reactive oxygen radicals. Other studies in progress comprise the identification and characterization of salivary protein which show selective adsorption to hydroxyapaptite forming a unique protein film on the mineral surfaces of teeth. This protein film determines de- and re-mineralization processes and dictates the early events of microbial colonization.. These studies include biophysical techniques such as NMR and mass spectrometry. Approaches of proteomics are being used to characterize proteins and peptides formed on mineral surfaces in vivo.


Boston Medical Center




Microbicidal Salivary Histidine-Rich Proteins
04/01/1986 - 11/30/2014 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research
5R01DE007652-24

Structure and Function of Human Salivary Mucins
08/01/1996 - 05/31/2010 (Co-PI)
NIH/National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research
2 R01 DE11691 09A2

Postdoctoral Training in Oral Biology
07/01/1999 - 08/31/2005 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research
5 T32 DE07206 15



Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2012 Microbicidal Salivary Histidine-Rich Proteins 5R01DE007652-24 105
2011 Microbicidal Salivary Histidine-Rich Proteins 5R01DE007652-23 105
2010 Microbicidal Salivary Histidine-Rich Proteins 5R01DE007652-22 105
2009 Microbicidal Salivary Histidine-Rich Proteins 2R01DE007652-21A1 105
2009 Salivary Proteins in Dental Integuments 5R01DE005672-27 90
2008 PROTEINS IN THE ORAL FLUIDS AND TOOTH PELLICLE LAYER 5P41RR010888-12-5192 259
2008 Salivary Proteins in Dental Integuments 5R01DE005672-26 90
2007 PROTEINS IN THE ORAL FLUIDS AND TOOTH PELLICLE LAYER 2P41RR010888-11-8013 259
2007 STUDIES OF HUMAN TOOTH INTEGUMENTS 2M01RR000533-39-8207 503
2007 Salivary Proteins in Dental Integuments 5R01DE005672-25 90
Showing 10 of 81 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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  1. Komatsu T, Watanabe K, Hamada N, Helmerhorst E, Oppenheim F, Lee MC. Association between Antimicrobial Peptide Histatin 5 Levels and Prevalence of Candida in Saliva of Patients with Down Syndrome. Antibiotics (Basel). 2021 Apr 26; 10(5). PMID: 33925785; PMCID: PMC8145106; DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10050494;
     
  2. Wei G, Darwish G, Oppenheim FG, Schuppan D, Helmerhorst EJ. Commensal Bacterium Rothia aeria Degrades and Detoxifies Gluten via a Highly Effective Subtilisin Enzyme. Nutrients. 2020 Dec 02; 12(12).View Related Profiles. PMID: 33276655; PMCID: PMC7761627; DOI: 10.3390/nu12123724;
     
  3. Komatsu T, Kobayashi K, Morimoto Y, Helmerhorst E, Oppenheim F, Chang-Il Lee M. Direct evaluation of the antioxidant properties of salivary proline-rich proteins. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2020 Sep; 67(2):131-136. PMID: 33041509; PMCID: PMC7533858; DOI: 10.3164/jcbn.19-75;
     
  4. Komatsu T, Kobayashi K, Helmerhorst E, Oppenheim F, Chang-Il Lee M. Direct assessment of the antioxidant property of salivary histatin. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2019 Nov; 65(3):217-222. PMID: 31777423; PMCID: PMC6877405; DOI: 10.3164/jcbn.19-53;
     
  5. Darwish G, Helmerhorst EJ, Schuppan D, Oppenheim FG, Wei G. Pharmaceutically modified subtilisins withstand acidic conditions and effectively degrade gluten in vivo. Sci Rep. 2019 05 16; 9(1):7505.View Related Profiles. PMID: 31097786; PMCID: PMC6522598; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43837-9;
     
  6. Brown JW, Badahdah A, Iticovici M, Vickers TJ, Alvarado DM, Helmerhorst EJ, Oppenheim FG, Mills JC, Ciorba MA, Fleckenstein JM, Bullitt E. A Role for Salivary Peptides in the Innate Defense Against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. J Infect Dis. 2018 04 11; 217(9):1435-1441.View Related Profiles. PMID: 29528423; PMCID: PMC5894089; DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy032;
     
  7. Helmerhorst EJ, Dawes C, Oppenheim FG. The complexity of oral physiology and its impact on salivary diagnostics. Oral Dis. 2018 Apr; 24(3):363-371.View Related Profiles. PMID: 28922514; PMCID: PMC6858792; DOI: 10.1111/odi.12780;
     
  8. Alevizos I, Zheng C, Cotrim AP, Liu S, McCullagh L, Billings ME, Goldsmith CM, Tandon M, Helmerhorst EJ, Catalán MA, Danielides SJ, Perez P, Nikolov NP, Chiorini JA, Melvin JE, Oppenheim FG, Illei GG, Baum BJ. Late responses to adenoviral-mediated transfer of the aquaporin-1 gene for radiation-induced salivary hypofunction. Gene Ther. 2017 Mar; 24(3):176-186.View Related Profiles. PMID: 27996967; PMCID: PMC5373995; DOI: 10.1038/gt.2016.87;
     
  9. Heller D, Helmerhorst EJ, Oppenheim FG. Saliva and Serum Protein Exchange at the Tooth Enamel Surface. J Dent Res. 2017 Apr; 96(4):437-443.View Related Profiles. PMID: 27879420; PMCID: PMC5384486; DOI: 10.1177/0022034516680771;
     
  10. Heller D, Helmerhorst EJ, Gower AC, Siqueira WL, Paster BJ, Oppenheim FG. Microbial Diversity in the Early In Vivo-Formed Dental Biofilm. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2016 Jan 08; 82(6):1881-8.View Related Profiles. PMID: 26746720; PMCID: PMC4784052; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03984-15;
     
Showing 10 of 153 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 140 publications over 41 distinct years, with a maximum of 15 publications in 2001

YearPublications
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20202
20211

Contact for Mentoring:

700 Albany St Ctr for Adv Biomed Res
Boston MA 02118
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