Doctors, Julie Marchesan and Thiago Morelli, Author New Study From UNC-Chapel Hill

RALEIGH, NC — November 12, 2025 — A major new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has uncovered a sex-dependent biological driver for periodontitis, a prevalent inflammatory disease characterized by bone loss and tooth damage. The findings identify the inflammasome, a key component of the immune system, as the causal mechanism for the disease’s observed male bias and demonstrate that a targeted anti-inflammatory therapy is effective only in males.

Key Findings: A Causal Link to Male-Biased Disease

• Periodontitis is more frequent and severe in males than in females, but the underlying biological reason has remained unknown. The research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, led by Julie Marchesan, DDS, PhD and Jenny P.Y. Ting, PhD from multiple institutions, analyzed over 6,200 human samples across three different studies and utilized advanced mouse models.
• Higher Inflammation in Males: Human analysis consistently showed that males have significantly higher levels of the inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-1 beta (a multiprotein complex that initiates inflammation) in the gingival fluid than females, in both healthy and diseased states.
• Inflammasome Drives Bone Loss Only in Males: Using genetic knockout mouse models, the researchers confirmed that the inflammasome and Interleukin-1 beta, drive periodontitis and subsequent bone resorption exclusively in male mice. Deleting the inflammasome’s key components protected male mice from bone loss, but had no protective effect, or even worsened the condition, in females.

Therapeutic Implications: A Sex-Specific Treatment

• Translating the biological discovery into a potential treatment, the study tested a common anti-inflammatory drug, the caspase-1/4 inhibitor (VX-765), which blocks the inflammasome’s activation.
  Effective in Males, Not Females: Treatment with the inhibitor prevented bone resorption and reduced inflammatory signaling in male mice with experimental periodontitis. However, the exact same treatment showed no protective effect on bone loss in female mice.
  Role of the Male Reproductive System: The therapeutic effect of the drug was found to be dependent on an intact male reproductive system. When male mice were orchiectomized (testicles removed), they no longer responded to the inhibitor, suggesting an important, though yet undefined, connection between male physiology and this inflammatory pathway.

Impact and Future Direction

This study is the first to identify a specific biological mechanism that accounts for the sex bias in periodontitis and supports the urgent need for a shift in biomedical research.

“Our findings not only pinpoint the inflammasome as the causal driver of male-biased periodontitis but also demonstrate a clear path for sex-stratified therapeutics in dentistry,” said Dr. Marchesan. “The conventional one-size-fits-all approach to treating periodontitis must be re-evaluated. Future clinical trials and treatment strategies for periodontitis need to take biological sex into account to ensure therapies are effective for all patients.”

The research opens the door for developing targeted anti-inflammasome therapies that can specifically benefit male patients, while guiding researchers to look for different biological mechanisms responsible for bone loss in females. To read the full study, visit PNAS.org.

About North Carolina Implants & Periodontics
North Carolina Implants and Periodontics was established in 2018 with a mission to provide high-quality, personalized oral care to their patients in a friendly, safe, and comfortable environment. They provide advanced care to the patients of Raleigh, NC, and surrounding communities using state-of-the-art technology, with a focus on minimally invasive procedures.

Dr. Thiago Morelli attended the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, where he earned his doctorate in dental surgery. He continued his education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he completed his certificate and master’s degree in periodontics.

In 2012, Dr. Morelli began teaching as a full-time professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, teaching periodontics and serving as the Director of the Periodontology and Implantology program for five years. He continues to teach as an adjunct professor in the periodontology department.

Dr. Morelli has received several prestigious awards and honors, and has published numerous articles relating to his field. He is also a Diplomate of the American Academy of Periodontology and a Fellow of the International Team for Implantology.