This discovery is particularly important for patients who are undergoing bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy or even at risk for gum disease.
"With a brief oral rinse," Dr. Glogauer says, "we are able to determine if there's an increased risk of infection in some patient populations."
While conducting postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Glogauer first thought of an oral rinse that could improve upon standard blood tests that measure neutrophil levels.
"From my dentistry background, I realized that the mouth is the one place in the body that is a constant source of neutrophils," he says. "I also knew it could be measured in solution."
According to Dr. Glogauer, his discovery reinforces the advice he received as an undergraduate student: there is great benefit to combining clinical and basic research training. Dentistry turned out to be his chosen medical field - and it's a field in which he continues to make substantial discoveries.
Recently, Dr. Glogauer demonstrated the effectiveness of the oral rinse among pediatric patients who have undergone bone marrow transplants. By monitoring neutrophil levels after a transplant, the research team accurately predicted whether the patient's body was responding well- a process called engraftment. Low neutrophil levels meant that patients were at an increased risk of infection during their recovery. The oral rinse can confirm bone marrow engraftment up to one week ahead of the standard blood test measurement of neutrophils.
"I like to think that, beyond the obvious clinical value of our information regarding oral rinses," he says, "it also provides some peace of mind for anxious parents."
Fewer neutrophils also lead to a greater threat of gum disease. This, in turn, can cause other serious complications - such as heart disease among men over 50 or pneumonia among seniors in nursing homes.
Dr. Glogauer's oral rinse could again prove to be useful in clinical studies of chemotherapy. Radiation and drugs involved with that treatment tend to eliminate neutrophils from a patient's system and establishes a risk for infection. If the oral rinse demonstrates higher neutrophil levels among certain patients, then they could potentially be dismissed from hospital earlier due to the lower infection possibility. That would translate into a tremendous cost savings for the Canadian healthcare system.
For Dr. Bhagirath Singh, Scientific Director of CIHR's Institute of Infection and Immunity, Dr. Glogauer's research provides benefit for Canadians and Canadian health researchers alike.
"His work brings new perspective in translating basic science discoveries into new non-invasive techniques to measure gum disease or to judge the success of bone marrow transplant in a patient," Dr. Singh says. "These research advances will lead to the development of better tools and technologies for improved health care outcomes."
Dr. John O'Keefe, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association, agrees with Dr. Singh.
"Dr. Glogauer is truly one of Canada's brightest and best young oral health researchers," says Dr. O'Keefe. "I can't wait to see what his next achievement will be, and the advancements he'll make in our understanding of the oral health - general health connection."
Dr. Glogauer is confident that his dual dentistry/research training has given him a more rounded view which will make a significant difference in his research.
"Even though this is common knowledge," he says, "unless you come at it from a different perspective, there's no reason to think about this as telling you valuable information about the health of the immune system."
Dr. Glogauer intends to commercialize the infection detection prospects and benefits of his oral rinse. In addition to a patent submission, he is currently working with a Canadian pharmaceutical company in order to translate these ideas into a product that can directly benefit the health of Canadians.
