Chair, Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences 
Director, Dental Biomedical Sciences PhD Program

‌Research in the Schneider laboratory centers on the potential of drug repurposing for dental, oral, and craniofacial applications. Through transdisciplinary collaborations with investigators at the University of Maryland Schools of Dentistry and Pharmacy, we are investigating the application of the first-line antidiabetic drug metformin within locally delivered formulations to potentiate mineralized tissue regeneration and repair including (a) mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based craniofacial bone regeneration and (b) dentin repair. We are primarily interested on the key cellular and molecular determinants underlying the responses to metformin in MSCs to support a pro-regenerative and functional tissue microenvironment. We envision our studies will yield valuable information to ultimately implement metformin- releasing formulations in the treatment of prevalent diseases affecting dental and craniofacial tissues. Another area of research interest in the Schneider lab focuses on elucidating pro-oncogenic signals promoting the progression of oral potentially malignant disorders to oral cancer.    

Mineralized tissue regeneration and repair

1. Reynolds MA, Z Zhao, MD Weir, T Ma, J Liu, HHK Xu and A Schneider. Nanopharmaceuticals in alveolar bone and periodontal regeneration. In: Madhyastha H and Chauhan DN (ed) Nanopharmaceuticals in Regenerative Medicine, 1st Edition Chapter 15: 269-288, 2022. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton. 
2. Wang S, Y Xia, T Ma, MD Weir, K Ren, MA Reynolds, Y Shu, L Cheng, A Schneider*, HHK Xu. Novel metformin-containing resin promotes odontogenic differentiation and mineral synthesis of dental pulp stem cells. Drug Delivery and Translational Research 9(1): 85-96, 2019. PMID: 30465181. *Co-senior corresponding author.
3. Qin W, J-Y Chen, J Guo, T Ma, MD Weir, D Guo, Y Shu, Z-M Lin, A Schneider* and HHK Xu. Novel calcium phosphate cement with metformin-loaded chitosan for odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells. Stem Cells Int, 2018: 7173481. PMID: 30598667 *Co-senior corresponding author.
4. Al Jofi FE, T Ma, D Guo, MP Schneider, Y Shu, HHK Xu, and A Schneider. Functional Organic Cation Transporters Mediate Osteogenic Response to Metformin in Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cells. Cytotherapy 20(5): 650-659, 2018. PMID: 29555409
5. Qin W, X-L Gao, T Ma, MD Weir, J Zou, B Song, Z Lin, A Schneider*, and HHK Xu. Metformin enhances the differentiation of dental pulp stem cells into odontoblasts by activating AMPK signaling. Journal of Endodontics 44(4): 576-584, 2018. PMID: 29306537. *Co-senior corresponding author.
6. Wang P, T Ma, K Hu, D Guo, Y Shu, HHK Xu, and A Schneider. Metformin induces osteoblastic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 12(2): 437-446, 2018. PMID: 28494141
7. Schneider A, JM Taboas, LK McCauley and PH Krebsbach.  Skeletal homeostasis in tissue-engineered bone. Journal of Orthopaedic Research 21(5): 859-864, 2003. PMID: 12919874 

Oral Oncology

1. Ma T, S Montaner and A Schneider. Glucose upregulates amphiregulin in oral dysplastic keratinocytes: a potential role in diabetes-associated oral carcinogenesis. J Oral Pathol Med, 52(10):1004-1012, 2023. PMID: 37817274.
2. Wisniewski DJ, T Ma and A Schneider. Fatty Acid Synthase mediates high glucose-induced EGFR activation in oral dysplastic keratinocytes. J Oral Pathol Med, 50(9): 919-926, 2021. PMID: 34402100.
3. Wisniewski DJ, T Ma and A Schneider. Nicotine induces oral dysplastic keratinocyte migration via Fatty Acid Synthase-dependent Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor activation. Experimental Cell Research 370(2): 343-352, 2018. PMID: 29966661
4. Schneider A. Mouse models to study metformin effects in carcinogenesis. In: Berger NA (ed) Murine Models, Energy Balance and Cancer. Energy Balance and Cancer 10: 271-292, 2015. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.
5. Patel H, RH Younis, RA Ord, JR Basile and A Schneider. Differential expression of organic cation transporter OCT-3 in oral premalignant and malignant lesions: potential implications in the antineoplastic effects of metformin. J Oral Pathol Med 42(3):250-6, 2013. PMID: 22861817
6. Vitale-Cross L, AA Molinolo, D Martin, RH Younis, M Takashi, V Patel, W Chen, A Schneider* and JS Gutkind. Metformin prevents the development of oral squamous cell carcinomas from carcinogenesis induced premalignant lesions. Cancer Prev Res 5(4): 562-73, 2012. PMID: 22467081. *Co-senior corresponding author
7. Wang X, A Schneider. HIF2a-mediated activation of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor potentiates head and neck cancer cell migration in response to hypoxia. Carcinogenesis 31(7): 1202-10, 2010. PMID: 20395290
8. Schneider A, RH Younis and JS Gutkind. Hypoxia-induced energy stress inhibits the mTOR pathway by activating an AMPK/REDD1 signaling axis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Neoplasia10(11):1295-1302, 2008. PMID: 18953439 

DDS: Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia, Faculty of Stomatology, Lima - Peru.  

Residency: Periodontics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT.  

PhD: Oral Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 

Postdoctoral Fellowship: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, MD.