1972 B.A., New York University
1977 D.D.S., Case Western Reserve University
1977-1979 Certificate in Oral Pathology, The University of Chicago, Zoller Memorial Dental Clinics
1982 Ph.D., General Pathology, The University of Chicago, Graduate Division of the Biological Sciences
1982-1984 Postdoctoral Cell Biology, Yale University, School of Medicine

Previous studies in our laboratory focused on the effects of tetracyclines (TCs) and their nonantimicrobial chemically-modified analogs on bone (CMTs) as potent inhibitors of bone resorption. The inhibitory effects of TCs and CMTs on extracellular pathways for transcription and synthesis of the connective tissue degrading MMPs, matrix metalloproteinases, (collagenase, gelatinase) were examined with TCs/CMTs in osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Methodologies included Northern Blot analyses, immunoprecipitation and ELISA, immunocytochemistry and in vitro bone resorption assays. Intracellular calcium concentration in osteoclasts (the principal bone resorbing cells) was measured using microspectrofluorimetric techniques. Tetracyclines, apart from their antimicrobial properties, have therapeutic potential for bone diseases, cancer, and renal (diabetic) disease. Current research interests include HIV infection and AIDS, and hepatitis C, and associated oral manifestations.

Topics/Key Words:

Tetracyclines; matrix metalloproteinases; bone resorption; HIV infection and AIDS; hepatitis C; infectious disease.

Overview:

Dr. Anthony Vernillo has been a full-time faculty member at New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) since 1984. He is Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology & Medicine. He received his DDS from Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry; the PhD in Pathology from the University of Chicago; and the Master of Bioethics (MBE) degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. While at the University of Chicago, Dr. Vernillo also completed his residency program in Oral Pathology. Shortly before accepting his first faculty position at NYUCD, he was a postdoctoral (post-PhD) research associate in Cell Biology at Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Vernillo's past research investigations focused on the role of connective tissue degrading enzymes and, more recently, the oral and systemic effects of diabetes mellitus. He has received grant funding from the NIH and other sources, published in refereed journals and book chapters, and presented at national and international meetings and universities abroad. He has coordinated dental outreach programs to Tanzania with Miracle Corners of the World and the support of Henry Schein, Inc. His current career objective includes research, teaching, and curriculum development in Bioethics. Dr. Vernillo has received numerous teaching awards, including the Distinguished Teaching Award from New York University in 2002.

2002 Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) NYC/Bronx, Consortium, Oral Substudy
Principal Investigator: Joan Phelan, DDS
Role: Co-Investigator: Anthony T. Vernillo, DDS., Ph.D.
Sponsor: NIH

Ramamurthy N.S., Vernillo A.T., Greenwald R., Lee H.M., Sorsa T., Golub L.M., Rifkin B.R. Reactive oxygen species activate and tetracyclines inhibit rat osteoblast collagenase. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research., 8 (1993):1247-1253.

Rifkin, B.R., Vernillo, A.T., Golub, L.M. Blocking periodontal disease progression by inhibiting tissue-destructive enzymes; a potential therapeutic role for tetracyclines and their chemically-modified analogs. J. Periodont., 64 (1993):819-827.

Rifkin, B.R., Vernillo, A.T., Golub, L.M Ramamurthy, N.S. Modulation of bone resorption by tetracyclines. Annals NY Acad. Sci., 732 (1994):165-180.

Vernillo, A.T., Ramamurthy, N.S., Golub, L.M., Rifkin, B.R. The nonantimicrobial properties of tetracycline for the treatment of periodontal disease. Curr. Opin. Periodontol., 2 (1994):111-118.

Vernillo, A.T., Ramamurthy, N.S. Golub, L.M., Greenwald, R.A., Rifkin, B.R. Tetracyclines as inhibitors of bone loss in vivo. In: Studies in Stomatology and Craniofacial Biology, (Eds. Baum, B.J., Cohen Jr., M.M.) IOS Press Amsterdam, pp. 499-522, 1997.

Sorsa T., Ramamurthy N.S., Vernillo A.T., Zhang X., Konttinen Y.T., Rifkin B.R., Golub L.M. Functional sites of chemically-modified tetracyclines: Inhibition of the oxidative activation of human neutrophil and chicken osteoclast pro-matrix-metalloproteinases. Rheumatology., 25 (1998): 975-982.

Vernillo A.T., Rifkin B. (1998). Collagenase and other osteoblast enzymes. In: Advances in Organ Biology (Zaidi M, ed.) JAI Press, Greenwich. Volume 5B, Chapter 22, pp. 467-482.

Vernillo, A.T. and Rifkin, B.R. Effects of tetracyclines on bone metabolism. Adv. Dent. Res., 12 (1998):56-62.

Ibsen, O.A.C., Phelan, J.A., Vernillo, A.T. (2000). Oral manifestations of systemic disease. In: Oral Pathology for the Dental Hygienist.(Ibsen, O.A.C., Phelan, J. Eds.). W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. Third Ed., Chapter 7.

Vernillo A.T. Diabetes mellitus: Relevance to dental treatment. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol E., 91(3): 263-270, 2001.

Ramamurthy NS, Rifkin BR, Greenwald RA, Xu J, Liu Y, Turner G, Golub LM, Vernillo AT: Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-mediated periodontal bone loss in rats: A comparison of 6 chemically modified tetracyclines. J. Periodontology 73(7):726-734, 2002.

Vernillo, AT. Dental considerations for the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus. JADA (submitted), 2003.

Robertson C, Drexler AJ, Vernillo AT. Update on Diabetes Diagnosis and Management. JADA (Submitted), 2003.