A research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) has developed a new mouthwash formulation that may provide long-term protection against tooth decay.
The team, led by Dong Wang, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical science in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, has developed a novel drug delivery system to carry antimicrobial agents directly to teeth. The formulation is designed to bind to the tooth surface and gradually release antimicrobials against cavity-forming bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans, Wang and his colleagues said.
Their study was published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (November 2009, Vol. 53:11, pp. 4898-4902).
"The beauty of this design is the simplicity," Wang said in a university press release. "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. The general research theme here is to manipulate the drug concentration at its intended action sites."
Based upon the same principle, Wang's research group also explored the potential of using the drug delivery systems that they have developed to improve the treatment of arthritis, cancer, and other inflammatory diseases.
A patent application has been filed on this technology through UNeMed, the technology transfer arm of UNMC. In addition, Wang and his colleagues are looking for funds to support a clinical trial and for a cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) facility to manufacture this formulation.
