b'Could you briefly describeretention at the inflammatory site is challenging the results of your award- due to degradation by proteolytic enzymes and winning research? clearance by high venous drainage. Exosomes Our single-cell RNA sequencing(EXO), nano-vesicles of endosomal origin have pilot study looked at extractionideal traits for drug delivery, including small size sites at baseline, two weeks(100 nm), long circulation time, low clearance, and and three months post- cargo preservation. Our previous studies showed operatively. I found twoimmune-regulatory dendritic cells (regDCs) phenotypes of fibroblasts thatderived EXO as an effective nano-delivery system behaved differently in an agedfor cargo protection and persistence. This study patient compared to a youngaims to explore the efficacy of SDF-1 loaded Dr. Paula Schlemmer patient, which translated toregDCs derived exosomes (SDF-1 loaded EXO) Balint Orban Clinicalpoor radiographic and clinicalas a potential nano-therapy for MSC recruitment Science Award healing in the aged patient.and periodontal tissue regeneration. This study Genes associated with fibrosisdemonstrates the efficacy of SDF-1 loaded EXO were significantly upregulateddelivery in promoting periodontal regeneration in in the aged patient and atinvivo. SDF-1 loaded EXO protected cargo against two-weeks post-extraction this patient was still undergoing ECMproteolytic cleavage and showed a high affinity at deposition, while the young patient was expressing growth factorsthe periodontal defect sites. This sustained SDF-1 and cytokines associated with osteogenesis. We conclude thatexpression and promoted MSC migration and bone differences in subcluster phenotypes, gene expression, andmaturation. This provides the basis for a novel pathway enrichment suggest that fibroblasts in aged patients maynatural nano-therapeutic strategy for periodontal contribute towards a slow-healing fibrotic wound.tissue regeneration in humans.What challenges did you encounter during your research,What challenges did you encounter and how were they overcome? during your research, and how were they overcome?The biggest challenge with scRNAseq as a clinician is the data post-processing. Many of the open-source systems for analysisAs a clinician scientist, it is very challenging require a heavy background in computer programming, which Ito juggle basic science research with clinical do not have. Luckily, I had a lot of mentorship from colleaguesresponsibilities. However, the collaborative and at National Jewish Health who were kind enough to train me onsupportive environment of the Department of pathway enrichment analysis. Periodontics at Dental College of Georgia in particular, and Augusta University, in general, How do you anticipate this award will influence yourenabled working in a team and balancing my future work? clinical training with research and teaching I think single-cell omics is quickly becoming of high interest tocommitments.clinicians because it can rapidly generate new clinical hypothesesHow do you anticipate this award will for problems we experience daily. At this time, I plan to pivot andinfluence your future work?hope to use this technology to better understand the breakdown of a periodontal site in a longitudinal manner. I feel honored to have been selected as the winner of the Research Forum Basic Science Award. It is Could you briefly describevery rewarding to see the acknowledgment and the results of your award- appreciation of our research work by being the winning research? recipient of this prestigious award. This experience is a great motivation in my academic career and Despite the advancementa positive reinforcement to continue advancing in regenerative medicine,and improving the periodontal research field periodontal tissue regenerationand patient care. This achievement would have remains a clinical challengenot been possible without our working team, that is difficult to achieve.collaboration, and mentors at the Periodontics The chemokine stromal cell- Department of the Dental College of Georgia Dr. Mahmoud Elashiry derived factor-1 (SDF-1)including the Department Chair Dr. Christopher plays a fundamental role inCutler, and PI Dr. Ranya Elsayed.Research Forum Basicendogenous mesenchymal stem Science Award cell (MSC) migration and tissueContinued on page 36regeneration. However, SDF-1 35'