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“ SALIVARY, page A1 ing advances made by researchers at UCLA and other institutions and chart- ing a path for future research and clini- cal applications. Actionable results from salivaomics In the article, Wong's research find- ings show that saliva is made up of complex sets of molecules — including genes, proteins, DNA and RNA — that help paint a picture of an individual's biology. The study of the biological molecules in saliva is known as “sal- ivaomics.” Findings show that by studying the “omics” in saliva — such as genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics — sci- entists can develop tests composed of many molecular measurements; the findings are then interpreted by a com- putational model to produce a clinical- ly actionable result. Through collaborative work with scientists at other institutions, UCLA researchers have developed several in- formatics and statistical tools to help interpret biomarkers in saliva; these biomarkers can then be used for early detection of disease, treatment moni- toring, recurrence prediction and other translational assessments. Just as useful as blood diagnostics Research done at the UCLA School of Dentistry has shown that saliva, as a medium for health screening, is just as useful as blood and other bodily fluids and has vast potential for the early de- tection of cancers, autoimmune diseas- es, diabetes and other disorders. The ability to conveniently and in- expensively capture saliva samples in a clinical setting for diagnostic pur- poses would be a huge step forward for health care providers in the detec- tion, treatment and prediction of re- currence of life-threatening diseases. Wong expects that future research in salivaomics will eventually translate into practical medical applications that will be administered in dentists’ and doctors’ offices. Dentists positioned on front line Because it has been shown that 20 percent more Americans visit their dentists more regularly than their physicians, there will be substantial opportunities for dentists to engage in primary health care by taking saliva samples from their patients and, based on the medical findings of those sam- ples, developing individualized treat- ment plans. Wong is a professor of oral biology and medicine and holds the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Chair in Dentist- ry at the UCLA School of Dentistry. His research has been funded by the Na- tional Institute of Dental and Craniofa- cial Research and the National Cancer Institute. (Source: UCLA School of Dentistry) Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | November 2012A2 NEWS Ad Dr. David Wong is a professor of oral biology and medicine and holds the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Chair in Dentistry at the UCLA School of Dentistry. His 'salivaomics' research is featured in a supplement to the October issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association ). Photo/Provided by UCLA School of Dentistry