George Hajishengallis: A New Era in Periodontal Disease Treatment

George Hajishengallis, Thomas W. Evans Centennial Professor at University of Pennsylvania, shared John Lambris’ post on LinkedIn:

“I am deeply grateful to John Lambris for more than two decades of scientific partnership, friendship, and shared curiosity.

What began as a discussion about whether the complement system might play a role in periodontal disease evolved into a long-term collaboration that helped redefine how we think about periodontitis—not as a bacterial infection, but as a chronic inflammatory disease driven by dysregulated host-microbial interactions.

Together with outstanding colleagues, students, postdoctoral fellows, clinicians, and industry partners, we helped uncover mechanisms linking complement-dependent inflammation to periodontal tissue destruction and translated these discoveries from fundamental science to clinical validation.

The Phase 2a trial demonstrated robust and sustained anti-inflammatory effects in patients with periodontal inflammation, providing strong support for complement-targeted therapy as a new treatment paradigm.

It is particularly gratifying to see these advances recognized by Laura Landro in The Wall Street Journal, highlighting the growing appreciation that oral health is intimately connected to systemic health and healthy aging.

The increasing recognition that ‘what happens in the mouth does not stay in the mouth’ reflects an important shift in biomedical thinking—one that continues to reveal how chronic oral inflammation shapes health throughout the body.

My sincere thanks to John and to all our collaborators who made this journey possible.”

John Lambris, Professor at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“It is gratifying to see Laura Landro’s article in The Wall Street Journal highlighting the growing recognition that periodontal disease is not merely a dental disorder, but a chronic inflammatory condition with important implications for overall health and healthy aging—and recognizing the decades of collaborative research that have helped shape this evolving field.

It also reflects the journey from fundamental discovery to clinical translation.

More than two decades ago, George Hajishengallis and I began a collaboration that united expertise in complement biology and periodontal immunology.

Working together, our laboratories uncovered the central role of complement dysregulation in periodontal disease and established the scientific foundation for a completely new therapeutic strategy: controlling the host inflammatory response rather than simply eliminating bacteria.

After many years of collaborative research, extensive preclinical studies, and clinical development, our first clinical study, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Hatice Hasturk and colleagues at the Forsyth Institute, and Dr. Despina Yancopoulou and her team at Amyndas Pharmaceuticals, demonstrated that local C3 inhibition reduced periodontal inflammation for several months, providing the first clinical proof-of-concept for complement-targeted therapy in periodontal disease.

Years earlier, I founded Amyndas Pharmaceuticals to develop complement C3-targeted therapeutics based on technology licensed from the University of Pennsylvania.

The outstanding results from our collaborative work with George Hajishengallis led us to expand the company’s development program to include periodontal disease, translating these discoveries into a new therapeutic opportunity for patients.

Scientific breakthroughs rarely happen overnight.

They are built over many years through curiosity, fundamental research, interdisciplinary collaboration, perseverance, and the dedication of outstanding students, postdoctoral fellows, collaborators, clinicians, and industry partners.

I am deeply grateful to George Hajishengallis for an exceptional scientific partnership and friendship, to Dr. Hatice Hasturk, Dr. Despina Yancopoulou, and all of our collaborators whose expertise and dedication helped translate fundamental discoveries into a promising therapeutic approach, and to everyone who contributed to this journey over the years.

It is exciting to see the field increasingly recognize that targeting inflammation may transform the treatment of periodontal disease, while also offering new opportunities to improve systemic health and promote healthier aging.

This journey is a reminder that transformative therapies often begin with fundamental discoveries, long-term collaborations, and the persistence to translate scientific insight into treatments that have the potential to improve patients’ lives.

It is exciting to see this field continue to advance, and I look forward to the next chapter.”

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