1980 B.G.S., University of Iowa
1984 D.D.S., University of Iowa
1991 Ph.D., University of Iowa
1991-94 Postdoctoral Cancer Research Institute Fellow, Stanford University

Immunomodulation of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases:

One of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases is gingivitis/periodontal disease. The chronic inflammation of periodontal disease has several systemic consequences including: increased production of C Reactive Protein, that is associated with vascular disease. A symbiotic relationship with diabetes control; poorly controlled diabetics have more severe periodontal disease and individuals with moderate to severe periodontal disease are much more likely to have poorly controlled blood sugar and acetylated hemoglobin levels. While gingivitis/periodontal disease results from a bacterial infection, the primary mechanism of the disease process is the host response to the bacteria. Soluble substances, cytokines, mediate most of the tissue destruction and bone loss associated with the more severe forms of periodontal disease. The current treatment modalities are aimed at bacterial removal, either mechanical (scaling and root planing) or chemotherapeutic (antibiotics), and although these treatments can induce remission, eventually the bacteria re-colonize the oral cavity and disease progress begins again. Recent developments in immunotherapy to control cytokine production are being used in other chronic inflammatory diseases, and there is a strong rationale for applying these types of treatments to periodontal disease.

There are several advantages to using periodontal disease as a model to study immunotherapy. The oral cavity is readily accessible making local delivery possible. Results can be directly visualized, and using a "split mouth" design the effects of therapy can be easily compared to a placebo in a single individual. Given the systemic consequences of poorly controlled periodontal disease, there is also a rationale for using immunomodulatory agents to control periodontal disease in populations at risk for vascular disease and diabetes. Clinical Trials in Oral Health Studies

The Bluestone Center for Clinical Research is a unique care unit that can provide facilities for Phase I, and Phase II studies that require over night hospitalization along with multiple dental operatories for oral studies. I am involved in protocol development and study management for multiple studies currently in progress. •

Industry Sponsored Trials

A two-armed, double-blind, placebo controlled, study to test the efficacy of two different approaches for reduction of dentinal hypersensitivity. Cervical dentinal hypersensitivity is a disease of young people, where cold air or liquid frequently causes pain. The purpose of this study is to compare the ability of two different dentin bonding agents in reducing cervical dentinal hypersensitivity.

A single-blinded, open label, cross-over study to test the efficacy of products to relieve dry mouth. Xerostomia, or dry mouth, can be caused by a variety of agents, including many common drugs, polypharmacia induced dry mouth. People suffering from dry mouth can have considerable quality of life problems including difficulty in swallowing, eating and speaking. The purpose of this study is to test a set of over the counter agents in the ability to ease dry mouth in adults taking multiple therapeutic drugs.

A clinical study to determine the correlation between abrasivity and dental hypersensitivity in a step-wise increase of abrasiveness in commercially available dentifrices.

A study is to determine if the degree of abrasivity (roughness) in toothpaste affects the degree of sensitivity of teeth.

Award Winning Student Projects:

Johnson & Johnson Student Research Award 2000. Tobacco extracts reduce HLA class I expression. C. David Han Shapiro Award 2001 Tobacco treatment reduces CD8 T cell activation. Thomas Kolodge Dean’s Student Research Award 2003 A novel inverted nuclear run-on assay. Natalie M. Nebblitt Pfizer Student Research Award 2005 A substance in tobacco reduces HLA class I membrane expression. Jared Frisbie

McCutcheon, J.A., Gumperz, J., Smith, K.D., Lutz, C.T. Parham, P. Low HLA-C expression at cell surfaces correlates with increased turnover of heavy chain mRNA. J. Exp. Med., 181 (1995):2085-2095.

Smith, K.D., Mace, B.E., Valenzuela, A, Figna, J.L., McCutcheon, J.A., Barbosa, J.A., Huczko, V.H., Engelhard, V.H., Lutz, C.T. Probing HLA-B7 conformational shifts induced by peptide-binding groove mutations and bound peptide with anti-HLA monoclonal antibodies. J. Immunol., 157 (1996):2470-2479.

McCutcheon, J.A. HLA-C protein expression is regulated by regions 3' to exon 3. Proceedings of the 12th IHCW HLA , 2 (1996): 298-300.

Sandalon Z, Fusenig NE, McCutcheon J, Taichman LB, Garlick JA. Suicide gene therapy for premalignant disease: a new strategy for the treatment of intraepithelial neoplasia. Gene Ther. 2001 Feb;8(3):232-8.

Tobacco reduces membrane HLA class I that is restored by transfection with TAP1 cDNA. Craig I. Fine, C. David Han, Xuming Sun, Yuexun Liu, and Jane A. McCutcheon J. Immunol. (2002) 169:6012-6019.

J. A. McCutcheon, H. Yee, R. Hayashi, B. Licari, D. Lombardo, P.A. Rosenberg and J. Phelan. Identification of γδT lymphocytes in human periapical lesions Oral Microbiology and Immunology. (2004). 19:106-110.

Post-transcriptional Regulation of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression by Interferon-γ. David A. Chesler, Jane A. McCutcheon, and Carol Shoshkes Reiss J. Interferon and Cytokine Research (2004). 24:141-149.