Scientists Seek Partner for Tobacco Dental Vaccine
Thu May 16, 2:33 PM ET

By Richard Woodman

LONDON (Reuters Health) - Scientists who have developed a vaccine against tooth decay from genetically modified (GM) tobacco plants said on Thursday they were seeking a partner to carry out large-scale clinical trials.

The team, at Guy's, King's & St. Thomas' Dental Institute in London, said that the colorless and tasteless vaccine was the first vaccine derived from a GM plant to go into human clinical trials. It is applied topically rather than injected.

"We drip it on to the teeth but it could also be added to toothpaste or chewing gum," said Dr. Julian Ma, senior lecturer in the department of oral medicine at King's College.

The researchers have already carried out intermediate Phase II trials in collaboration with Californian biotechnology company Planet Biotechnology Inc.

Ma declined to divulge results, but told Reuters that the vaccine clearly worked and a further partnership with a larger company was now needed for Phase III trials involving several hundred patients. The GM tobacco plants produce antibodies that bind to a protein on the surface of streptococcus mutans, the bacteria responsible for 95% of dental cavities. As a result, the bacteria cannot stick to the teeth and cause cavities.

Ma stressed that there was no connection with smoking. Rather, the development was "an opportunity to replace tobacco fields with medicinal tobacco plants."

The researchers are displaying their work at next week's Chelsea Flower Show--a famous annual event in London.

"It is a great opportunity to emphasize the positive features of GM plants, distinguishing them from GM foods and helping explain or demystify the issues that exist over the whole term genetically modified'," Ma said.

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