Targeting the immune system could prevent or treat periodontal disease (PD), a common but serious disease of the gums, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , showed that delivering microparticles containing the immune-modulating compound CCL2 directly to the gums inhibited bone loss and sped up bone repair in a mouse model of PD. "Treatment for PD has always focused on targeting bacteria, but bacteria don't actually cause the disease.
Rather, they trigger PD by activating the immune system , which leads to inflammation and bone loss around teeth," said senior author Charles Sfeir, D.D.S.
, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Periodontics and Preventive Dentistry in the Pitt School of Dental Medicine and member of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
"Our study shows that it's a two-way street: If we contain the immune system, we can shift the composition of bacteria and prevent the disease from happening or stop its progression." Sfeir teamed up with Steven Little, Ph.D, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering in the Swanson School of Engineering and member of McGowan, who developed microparticles that provide sustained release of CCL2.
"The potential for engineered systems to interact with the immune system of the periodontal space is tremendous and represents a completely different way to treat dis.