Application
Small molecules that inhibit oral bacteria growth to treat gum disease and prevent tooth decay.
Key Benefits
- Inhibits S. mutans biofilm formation.
- Reduces the number of bacteria by working in a bactericidal, as opposed to bacteriostatic, manner.
Market Summary
Periodontitis is a gum infection in which gums become inflamed due to a bacterial biofilm. This can ultimately lead to caries/cavities and tooth loss. Treatment is usually cleaning, planning and/or topical or oral antibiotics. If the disease is advanced, surgery may be required. Complications from periodontitis can extend beyond the mouth and has been associated with heart disease and problems with blood sugar. The oral biofilm is a diverse microbiome, S. mutans is associated with the development of dental caries, and the inhibition of S. mutans growth is crucial for effective plaque control.
Technical Summary
Researchers have developed small molecule derivatives that reduce and inhibit oral bacterial growth. These compounds show increased potency and decreased minimum bactericidal concentration against S. mutans. The compounds also showed decreased minimum inhibitory concentration for the inhibition of S. mutans growth. These antibacterial agents can be used as an alternative for the treatment of periodontitis, cavities and other oral diseases. These compounds may have other applications, such as inflammation and heart disease.
Developmental Stage
Structure-activity relationship (SAR) study and mechanism studies completed.
Publications
Solinksi, A. E. et al. (2018). ACS Infect. Dis., 4(2), 118-122.
Ochoa, C. et al. (2019). ACS Infect. Dis.
