Gum Disease and Gene Therapy
February 25th, 2009 | by admin |
Angela Rogers asked:
A lot of the new technological advancements in medicine are focused on finding cure for life threatening diseases but this approach is now starting to change. A group of intellectual scientists have found a way to cure periodontal disease through gene therapy.
This is the first time ever that gene therapy has been used to treat a condition to improve the quality of life. The researchers mentioned that this is one step ahead from the previous approach when gene therapy was only focused to treat life threatening illnesses.
They also added that periodontal is a disabling disease that seriously hampers the health status of an individual, which can lead to serious health problems.
Scientists at the University of Michigan have shown that gene therapy can be used to successfully stop the development of periodontal disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. It is also amazing to know that this gene therapy approach has benefited individuals who were suffering from rheumatoid arthritis as well.
The study was conducted on about 127 individuals, in which all showed about 30% improvement in regaining better chewing of the food, as well as pain relief. This was along side other therapeutic interventions being offered to these individuals.
A note must be made here that the bacteria that cause periodontal disease can spread from the oral cavity to the various parts of the body and can cause serious illnesses such as heart disease, joint disease, kidney disease, etc.
Scientists have found a way to develop a TNF receptor on certain cells using inactivated virus. TNF is known to cause a lot of damage in diseases with chronic inflammation and these cells just act like a sponge to absorb the TNF present in the inflamed areas. The TNF factor can cause a high level of destruction by destroying bone and joints.
The results of the study have shown that the individuals who received this therapy were able to have a better protection level against the inflammatory agents and in whom the joints were spared from any destruction.
Alfred
A lot of the new technological advancements in medicine are focused on finding cure for life threatening diseases but this approach is now starting to change. A group of intellectual scientists have found a way to cure periodontal disease through gene therapy.
This is the first time ever that gene therapy has been used to treat a condition to improve the quality of life. The researchers mentioned that this is one step ahead from the previous approach when gene therapy was only focused to treat life threatening illnesses.
They also added that periodontal is a disabling disease that seriously hampers the health status of an individual, which can lead to serious health problems.
Scientists at the University of Michigan have shown that gene therapy can be used to successfully stop the development of periodontal disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. It is also amazing to know that this gene therapy approach has benefited individuals who were suffering from rheumatoid arthritis as well.
The study was conducted on about 127 individuals, in which all showed about 30% improvement in regaining better chewing of the food, as well as pain relief. This was along side other therapeutic interventions being offered to these individuals.
A note must be made here that the bacteria that cause periodontal disease can spread from the oral cavity to the various parts of the body and can cause serious illnesses such as heart disease, joint disease, kidney disease, etc.
Scientists have found a way to develop a TNF receptor on certain cells using inactivated virus. TNF is known to cause a lot of damage in diseases with chronic inflammation and these cells just act like a sponge to absorb the TNF present in the inflamed areas. The TNF factor can cause a high level of destruction by destroying bone and joints.
The results of the study have shown that the individuals who received this therapy were able to have a better protection level against the inflammatory agents and in whom the joints were spared from any destruction.
Alfred
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