Gum Disease Prevention – Vaccine for Periodontitis

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Periodontitis gum disease is a response seen in the gingiva and tissues around the teeth, when the irritation to these tissues becomes severe, and lead to loss of attachment of the tooth to these tissues.

This is initiated by the accumulation of plaque and food debris, which later hardens and forms calculus.

Two most frequent and dangerous bacteria seen in the plaque are Eikenella corrodens and Staphylococcus epidemidis, which metabolize the amino acids present between the cells, and convert them to fatty acids and ammonia. The ammonia provides alkaline environment converting the hard minerals like calcium phosphate of the teeth into the hard calculus, which provides shelter for bacteria and their toxic products. This results in irritation and later lead to host changes, causing periodontitis.

The attachment of teeth with the gingiva is maintained by cells called keratinocytes which forms a basal cell layer adjacent to the teeth, and stroma of the gingiva. The bacteria appear few hours after the oral hygiene is done, and they accumulate in the plaque, secreting lysine decarboxylase that converts lysine to cadaverine and carbon dioxide. Lysine thus starts depleting and later leads to start in loss of attachment of tooth and gingiva.

How Does the Vaccine for Periodontitis Work?

Scientists in the Cooperative Research Centre for Oral Health Science from The University of Melbourne have identified candidate vaccine antigens for the wide-spread gum disease periodontitis.CSL Limited, Australia’s leading biopharmaceutical company, has announced that a vaccine to treat severe gum disease is being developed in a new collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur, the world’s leading global manufacturer of vaccines.

The present vaccine for gum disease that is invented, includes the antibodies which are successful in preventing the action of lysine decarboxylase (that metabolize lysine to form cadaverine and carbon dioxide) and so it makes a simple, easy, economical therapy to treat periodontal disease.

The gum disease vaccine contains recombinant lysine decarboxylases that are derived from both Eikenella corrodens, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. It then includes a method for inducing an immunogenic response in a subject.

The vaccine is produced by either producing recombinant lysine decarboxylase using the pET plasmid system, or isolating the genomic DNA and then cloning the lysine decarboxylase genes.

Advancement Towards Prevention of Periodontal Disease Dental Complications

The invention and development of this vaccine to prevent periodontal disease is a big advancement in the field of preventive dentistry, where everything from the every aspect it would be checked if pharmacologically both the carrier and the recipient of the antibodies are accepting it well, without any allergic response. It is tested to be administered either parenterally, intramuscularly, subcutaneously, intradermally, orally and other routes which the host accepts well and the antibodies reach the destined target areas.

The vaccine is tested not only in humans, but canine-bearers and other mammals, to test the immune response, and the inflammatory inhibition.

The advanced stages of periodontal disease is a common problem all around the world, which leads to destruction of the tissues and later tooth loss at an early or middle age, and bone loss reduces the chances of replacement with a proper prosthesis. Administering the vaccine, in early adolescent age before there is any sign of periodontitis, helps in prolonging the healthy life of the periodontium and the gums, and risk of any inflammation is reduced.

Apart from humans, the mammals like dogs and other animals where proper oral hygiene is not maintained, this vaccine can be a good benefit for preventing the periodontal diseases and reduce the need of proper care in animals.