Dental News - First dental vaccine may help combating chronic periodontitis soon

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 8. December 2016

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MELBOURNE, Australia: After researching the development of a vaccine for chronic periodontitis for the past 15 years, a team of scientists from the Oral Health CRC at the University of Melbourne has published their latest findings. The results thus far show promising prospects that the vaccine may reduce the need for surgery and antibiotics for patients with severe periodontal disease. According to the researchers, clinical trials could potentially begin on periodontitis patients in 2018.

“Periodontitis is widespread and destructive. We hold high hopes for this vaccine to improve the quality of life of millions of people,” said Prof. Eric Reynolds, CEO of the Oral Health CRC. Developed in collaboration with Australian biopharmaceutical company CSL Limited, the vaccine targets enzymes produced by the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of the main periodontal pathogens, triggering an immune response. According to the researchers, this response produces antibodies that neutralise the pathogen’s destructive toxins.

Currently, periodontitis is treated by manually removing toxic plaque that builds up between the tooth and the gingivae, which sometimes involves surgery and antibiotic regimes. Although these measures are helpful, in many cases the bacterium re-establishes itself in the dental plaque, which causes a microbiological imbalance, so the disease continues, Reynolds said.

Epidemiological surveys indicate that moderate to severe forms of periodontitis affect about one in three adults worldwide. Left untreated, the condition can result in the destruction of gingival tissue and ultimately in tooth loss.

Several studies have further linked the disease to an increased risk of various health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, preterm birth and dementia. If implemented in clinical practise, an effective vaccine for chronic periodontitis could therefore help combat the global burden of these widespread diseases as well.

The results of the study were published in the NPJ Vaccines journal on 1 December in an article, titled “A therapeutic Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipain vaccine induces neutralising IgG1 antibodies that protect against experimental periodontitis”.

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