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Written on Monday, June 16th 2008 at 6:14 pm by alexCould cavities soon be a thing of the past? With new scientific advances, it's very possible.
The bacteria S. Mutans thrive on sugars in the mouth, which they consume while excreting lactic acid. This acid is responsible for the great majority of tooth decay in humankind because it erodes the enamel and dentin of the teeth. A Florida company engineered a similar versino of S. Mutans that uses recombinant DNA technology to produce a new variety of S. mutans which does not excrete lactic acid. Instead, it excretes tiny amounts of an agent called Mutacin 1140 which is deadly to other strains of S. mutans
What this means is once the new strain of S. Mutans "infects" your mouth, they will slowly and methodically destroy the currenty S. Mutans roaming around in your mouth, also killing the acids that cause cavities and hurt your teeth.
The problem is, if S. Mutans exist naturally in the environment, this new strain of S. Mutans could contaminate the old strains in nature, making that particular place less acidic. This could cause huge problems for our environment.
Initial tests have started in humans, but the new strain has been stripped of a necessary amino acid that, if it doesn't receive daily, will die. This way if contamination happens, there is a very small chance the new strain will be able to kill off the old strain in only a day. - View comments...
The bacteria S. Mutans thrive on sugars in the mouth, which they consume while excreting lactic acid. This acid is responsible for the great majority of tooth decay in humankind because it erodes the enamel and dentin of the teeth. A Florida company engineered a similar versino of S. Mutans that uses recombinant DNA technology to produce a new variety of S. mutans which does not excrete lactic acid. Instead, it excretes tiny amounts of an agent called Mutacin 1140 which is deadly to other strains of S. mutans
What this means is once the new strain of S. Mutans "infects" your mouth, they will slowly and methodically destroy the currenty S. Mutans roaming around in your mouth, also killing the acids that cause cavities and hurt your teeth.
The problem is, if S. Mutans exist naturally in the environment, this new strain of S. Mutans could contaminate the old strains in nature, making that particular place less acidic. This could cause huge problems for our environment.
Initial tests have started in humans, but the new strain has been stripped of a necessary amino acid that, if it doesn't receive daily, will die. This way if contamination happens, there is a very small chance the new strain will be able to kill off the old strain in only a day. - View comments...
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