A research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha has developed a mouthwash formulation that may provide long-term protection against tooth decay. Led by Dong Wang, PhD, associate professor of pharmaceutical science in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, the team developed a drug delivery system to carry antimicrobial agents directly to teeth. A major contributing factor to dental cavities is overpopulation of acid-producing bacteria in biofilm present on the tooth surface, eventually causing dental decay. Wang’s formulation would bind to the tooth surface and gradually release antimicrobials against cavity-forming bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans. “The beauty of this design is the simplicity,” he says. “All one may have to do is their routine oral hygiene procedure and then rinse with the formulation that we have developed. It could protect the teeth over a long period of time.” A study demonstrating the formulation was published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Such a product also could have far-reaching implications for older adults in nursing homes who don’t have good access to dental care and for those at increased risk of heart disease. A Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application has been filed on the technology through UNeMed, the technology transfer arm of UNMC. Wang and colleagues are seeking funds to support a clinical trial and a cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) facility to manufacture the formulation.
Source: Health News Digest