We are all accustomed to vaccines. In early childhood we make vaccines against diphtheria, measles, whooping cough. Then vaccinated against hepatitis and other dangerous diseases. Annual vaccination against the flu will help not get sick from cold weather. But scientists from China has successfully tested one vaccine that will protect from tooth decay and a visit to the “scary” doctor. The dentist.
According to the most common at this point of the theory, caries arise because of the exposure of the microorganisms Streptococcus mutans, which live in the oral cavity. They produce lactic acid, which leads to the formation of Tartar, the destruction of the enamel and the appearance of cavities. According to the journal Scientific Reports, scientists Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in trials of its vaccine has made the suppression of the microflora responsible for dental caries.
Experiments on a new vaccine were carried out on rats. The main component of the vaccine is a fusion protein KF-rPAc. It consists of the KF protein that provokes an immune response to the protein rPAc. The latter is a structural element of the membrane of Streptococcus mutans. Thus, carious bacteria are more intense attack the immune system. Currently, Chinese scientists are planning the next stage of clinical trials involving humans.
It is worth noting that attempts to create a vaccine against tooth decay are held for more than three decades. The researchers used a variety of approaches. For example, one research vaccine created a protective coating on the surface of the teeth, which prevented fixing bacteria on their surface.
Created a vaccine against dental caries
Vladimir Kuznetsov