Cavities were cured in 1985, and no one knows it yet - eviltoast
Lantern
www.lanternbioworks.com
  • gibmiser@lemmy.worldEnglish
    19·
    1 year ago

    This site sucks, I found a NIH study from 2002 on the subject

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12369203/

    EDIT: OK Wikipedia to the rescue: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caries_vaccine#:~:text=mutans.,%2C require occasional re-applications.

    "On a different line of research, Jeffrey Hillman from the University of Florida[6] developed a genetically modified strain of Streptococcus mutans called BCS3-L1, that is incapable of producing lactic acid – the acid that dissolves tooth enamel – and aggressively replaces native flora. In laboratory tests, rats who were given BCS3-L1 were conferred with a lifetime of protection against S. mutans.[7] BCS3-L1 colonizes the mouth and produces a small amount of a lantibiotic, called MU1140,[7] which allows it to out-compete S. mutans.[8] Hillman suggested that treatment with BCS3-L1 in humans could also provide a lifetime of protection, or, at worst, require occasional re-applications. He stated that the treatment would be available in dentists’ offices and “will probably cost less than $100.”[9] The product was being developed by Oragenics, but was shelved in 2014, citing regulatory concerns and patent issues.[10] In 2016, Oragenics received a 17-year patent for the product.[11]

    On rare occasions the native S. mutans strain escapes into the blood, potentially causing dangerous heart infections. It is unclear how likely BCS3-L1 is to do the same.[12]"

    TLDR; Sounds like the risk of it entering the bloodstream and causing heart problems is what stopped it from advancing.

    • idiomaddict@feddit.deEnglish
      6·
      1 year ago

      Damn. It might still be worth it for me, who has had an average of 8 cavities/year for all the years I’ve had teeth without much of a sweet tooth. I have less basic saliva than most people, my sister and mother had the same problem

    • smooth_tea@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      The infection they talk about is for the native bacteria, they simply don’t know whether the modified one causes the same issue.

      • gibmiser@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        1 year ago

        Yes, now imagine a much more prolific version of the same condition. It is a reasonable assumption that it could cause the same condition.

        I don’t know anything about the probabilities, so I’m not sure if it’s overreacting or not. From a liability perspective a product that has applications for billions of people, even a small probability of complications is important to examine.

        I would hope they could consider making it a prescription for people like me with frequent cavities.