ANNUAL REVIEW | 2016
|9
DIRECTLY IMPLANTED DEVICES
Repairing dental
decay
“
The self-assembling
peptide technology,
invented and
patented by the
University of Leeds,
and developed in
partnership
with Swiss-based
dental technology
company, Credentis,
represents one of
our most successful
industrial codevelopment
projects to date.
Untreated tooth decay is the
number one disease globally,
so the potential market for
this technology is staggering.
“
Improving dental
implant success
A new project will
establish whether
self-assembling
peptide technology
can promote
bone formation to
improve the success
of dental implants –
the artificial ‘roots’,
usually made of
titanium, that are fixed
into the jawbone to
support false teeth
or crowns.
Although success rates for dental
implants are high overall, implants
in the posterior maxilla – the back
of the upper jaw – are prone to
failure because the position of
the sinuses means that there is
less bone available to house
the implant.
The project hopes to improve
on the outcomes of the current
surgical ‘sinus lift’ procedure that
involves making the maxilla thick
enough to support an implant
using bone grafts or devitalised
bone chips. It will explore whether
a self-assembling peptide gel
combined with the bone chips
can augment the implant site
to accelerate bone deposition
and increase success rates for
implants placed in the back of
the upper jaw.
Dubbed “filling without drilling”,
the peptide technology repairs
early dental decay and reverses
tooth sensitivity by diffusing
into the affected parts of the
tooth forming a scaffold-like
structure which attracts the
building blocks of tooth enamel
and dentine – calcium and
phosphate – from saliva.
Marketed under the CuroloxTM
brand as Curodont Repair
(treating decay) and Curodont
D’Senz (treating sensitivity),
Dr Julie Burke, Clinical Associate
Professor and Consultant in Oral
Surgery at the University of
Edinburgh, leads the project
alongside Leeds’ Head of Oral
Biology, Professor Jennifer
Kirkham. Dr Burke explains:
“Used on their own, bone chips
have had mixed results as they
can drift from the intended site.
We think that the peptide gel will
act as a bioactive cement to both
help adhesion and promote
bone formation.
the Swiss retail chain Migros
integrated the technology into its
leading toothpaste brand.
In 2015-16, the team designed,
synthesised and evaluated
new peptide candidates in
remineralisation studies,
comparing them with
commercially available products,
such as fluoride varnishes.
Results showed that the
Leeds technology has superior
remineralising properties and
new patents are being filed.
“This latest work has
improved the scientific and
clinical understanding of the
mechanism of action for the
platform technology
which supports the use of
Credentis’ CuroloxTM Technology
products and the concept
of peptide induced enamel
regeneration,” says Credentis’
founder, Dr Dominik Lysek.
“Untreated tooth decay is the
number one disease globally,
so the potential market for this
technology is staggering.”
Although the original project has
drawn to a close, the CredentisUniversity team are discussing
future translational projects to
continue the partnership.
“If we can establish proof of
principle, the combined material
may also have potential in the
wider field of cranio-maxillofacial
surgery, where repairing damaged
bones in the head and face can
be difficult without impairing
function.”