Four UW School of Dentistry faculty members have received a patent for a new way of using titanium-based materials to fight oral bacteria.
The patent culminates several years of work in which the group studied a novel class of substances called titanates and peroxotitanates, which can inhibit bacterial growth when bound to metal ions. These titanates could be incorporated into a gel or a solution that would be applied by a dentist after a procedure such as a root canal or a filling. The application could reduce the chances of infection or tooth decay at that site.
Titanates could also be used in bandages, skin gels, mouthwashes and toothpaste to limit bacterial growth, said Dr. Whasun Oh Chung, research associate professor of oral health science, who works on this new antibacterial agent. The others are Dr. Daniel Chan and Dr. John Wataha, both professors聽 of restorative dentistry; and Dr. Bruce Rutherford, lecturer in oral biology.
The group鈥檚 work grew out of nearly a decade of research performed by Wataha and Dr. David Hobbs of South Carolina鈥檚 Savannah River National Laboratory. Hobbs is also listed on the patent as an inventor.聽 Their studies formed the basis for a four-year, $1.5 million federal grant by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to the UW School of Dentistry to evaluate titanates鈥� antibacterial properties.
Chan, the School of Dentistry鈥檚 associate dean for clinical services, was co-principal investigator on the grant with Dr. James Bryers of the UW Department of聽Biomedical Engineering.聽 Whasun Oh Chung and another School of Dentistry faculty member, Dr. Albert K.H. Chung, were co-investigators.聽 Dr. Charles Spiekerman of the School of Dentistry鈥檚 Department of Oral Health Sciences is the group鈥檚 biostatistician, while Wataha is 聽a consultant. Hobbs helped secure the grant.
Metals have long been known to have antibacterial properties, said Whasun Oh Chung, but, when used in concentrations high enough to be effective, they also carry a risk of toxic side effects. What makes the work with titanates promising, she said, is that the therapeutic benefits are achieved with less risk of toxicity.
鈥淚t is very new and novel,鈥� said Chung. 鈥淣othing has delivered materials at such a non-toxic level. We鈥檙e working with something we know is effective. Metals have been around a long time, and the bacteria haven鈥檛 become resistant to them.鈥�
That is also an important consideration at a time when growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics places greater urgency on the need to find antimicrobial alternatives, she noted.
鈥淭he use of metal ions to control bacterial infections remains of interest as drug-resistant bacteria are becoming increasingly common and dangerous to human health,鈥� Chung said.
Aside from their uses in the mouth or other topical applications, titanates could even be used in narrowly targeted treatments for internal organs, she said.
Titanates could also be used in dental or medical materials and devices, she said, including suture material, catheters, shunts, and dental fillings. They could even show up in toothpastes and mouthwashes some day, she said.
鈥淸Titanate-metal complexes have] proven to be effective against endodontic, cariogenic 聽and periodontic bacteria,鈥� Chung said. 鈥淭he idea is to make it easy for people to use every day.鈥� At the same time, Wataha cautioned that the practical or clinical benefits have yet to be conclusively demonstrated for the new patent-related application.
The researchers are now conducting human trials and expect to finish this spring, Chung said. However, she declined to predict when titanates might be approved for general use.