A study in the journal Microbiology says that stripping some mouth bacteria of their 'access keys' to other pathogenic oral bacteria could help prevent gum disease and tooth loss.1 The study suggests that this bacterial access key could be a drug target for people who are at high risk of developing gum diseases.

Oral bacteria of the species Treponema denticola frequently 'gang up' in communities with other pathogenic oral bacteria to produce destructive dental plaque. Researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered that a molecule on the surface of T. denticola called CTLP acts as the key pass that grants the bacterium access to the community, by allowing it to latch onto other oral bacteria. Once incorporated, CTLP in conjunction with other bacterial molecules can start to wreak havoc by inhibiting blood clotting (leading to continued bleeding of the gums) and causing tissue destruction.

'Devising new means to control these infections requires deeper understanding of the microbes involved, their interactions, and how they are able to become incorporated into dental plaque,' said Professor Howard Jenkinson, who led the study.

The study shows that CTLP could be a good target from which novel therapies could be developed and the research team is now working to find a compound that will inhibit CTLP.