Penn Dental Research Leads to Treatment for Periodontal Disease
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia have found a possible new therapy for periodontitis involving a treatment the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for psoriasis.
Penn Dental Research Leads to Treatment for Periodontal Disease
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia have found a possible new therapy for periodontitis involving a treatment the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for psoriasis. The drug, which blocks the activity of the signaling molecules interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-23, may also have application for managing periodontal diseases. The team reports that high levels of IL-17 contribute to periodontal inflammation, but that using an antibody that binds the p40 subunit of IL-23 and IL-12 inhibits production of IL-17.
Using a mouse-based model, investigators identified a mouse form of leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD). This rare genetic disease causes recurrent bacterial infections and periodontitis in humans, according to the study, “Interleukin-12 and Interleukin-23 Blockade in Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Type 1,” published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the study, the team successfully treated a 19-year-old patient with LAD who had severe periodontitis and a chronic nonhealing skin wound by using the drug that blocks interleukin activity. The authors report the patient’s oral health and skin wound improved dramatically after a year of treatment.
Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter
June 2017
