Researchers from the University of Melbourne have developed a vaccine to treat periodontitis. So far the vaccine has been tested in mice and if successful in human trials, will be able to prevent chronic periodontitis.1
The vaccine is targeted at the bacterial species that has been singled out as the main pathogen leading to gum disease.2 The vaccine will stimulate the host's immune response to produce antibodies towards this species of bacteria, preventing it from building up and reducing the inflammatory response and the level of destruction.
References
O'Brien-Simpson N M, Holden J A, Lenzo J C et al. A therapeutic Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipain vaccine induces neutralising IgG1 antibodies that protect against experimental periodontitis. Npj Vaccines 2016; 1: 16022; doi:10.1038/npjvaccines.2016.22; published online 1 December 2016.
Hajishengallis G, Darveau R P, Curtis M A . The keystone-pathogen hypothesis. Nat Rev Microbiol 2012; 10: 717–725
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Vaccine developed to prevent periodontitis. BDJ Team 4, 17024 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/bdjteam.2017.24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bdjteam.2017.24
