Antigen For Vaccine Discovered.(Brief Article)

2001 JUL 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) --

Researchers at The Forsyth Institute, Massachusetts, have discovered a potentially important antigen for a vaccine against dental caries.

The antigen, reported in the July 2001 issue of Infection and Immunity, gives rise to greater immune response than do many previously tested antigens, and strengthens an already powerful case for embarking on clinical trials for a caries vaccine.

The research team, led by Martin Taubman, DDS, PhD, and Daniel Smith, PhD, aims to prevent tooth decay throughout life by administering an anti-caries vaccine to children ages 12 to 24 months.

"Despite the great advances in caries research over the past few decades, dental decay remains the major infectious disease that affects children, worldwide," according to Dominick P. DePaola, DDS, PhD, The Forsyth Institute. "A vaccine for caries would be extraordinarily exciting because it could free tens of millions of children from the ravages of dental disease."

The newly reported antigen is the key component in a new formulation of a mucosal vaccine that can be squirted into the nose, rather than injected or swallowed like some other vaccines. This vaccine, and others developed at Forsyth, have proved effective in preclinical trials.

The researchers have previously received approval to enter clinical trials and are currently seeking support or partners to produce the vaccine.