A recent story from the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital’s News and Views blog spotlights groundbreaking interdisciplinary research involving several members of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC). The feature, titled “The mouth tells the story: Metabolic syndrome impacts the oral milieu even before dental disease occurs,” highlights collaborative work by Eric Taylor, PhD, Sukirth Ganesan, DDS, PhD, Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD and Vanessa Curtis, MD. 

Their research, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal JCI Insight, reveals a novel link between metabolic syndrome and the oral microbiome. The team discovered that even in the absence of dental disease, individuals with metabolic syndrome show distinct changes in their oral bacteria – suggesting that oral health may provide early clues about broader metabolic dysfunction.

This study bridges the fields of endocrinology, microbiology, immunology, and pediatric medicine, reflecting the FOEDRC’s commitment to team science and translational research. As the blog article notes, these findings may open new pathways for earlier diagnosis and intervention for metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, through a simple oral health assessment.

We congratulate FOEDRC faculty members Drs. Taylor, Ganesan, Mangalam, and Curtis on this impactful contribution and their continued leadership in advancing the understanding of diabetes and its associated conditions.