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14 IMPLANT NEWS Implant Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 5+6/2017 Award-winning seaweed drug could help fight peri-implantitis By DTI CARDIFF, UK: Together with the Norwegian biopharmaceutical company AlgiPharma, research- ers at Cardiff University have been working on new drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant dis- eases and infections. In the study, the team at the School of Den- tistry has shown how alginates— found in seaweed—can disrupt the formation of microbial bio- films. Biofilms form when a commu- nity of bacteria assemble in some form of watery environment, be- gin to excrete a glue-like substance and adhere to a surface. Biofilms have been found to be involved in a wide variety of microbial infec- tions in the human body. An ex- ample is dental plaque, which can AD The Dental Tribune International Magazines www.dental-tribune.com I would like to subscribe to CAD/CAM Clinical Masters* cosmetic dentistry* implants laser ortho** prevention* roots Journal of Oral Science & Rehabilitation*** EUR 44 per year (4 issues per year; incl. shipping and VAT for customers in Germany) and EUR 46 per year (4 issues per year; incl. shipping for customers outside Germany). * EUR 12 per year (1 issue per year; incl. shipping and VAT for customers in Germany) and EUR 14 per year (1 issue per year; incl. shipping for customers outside Germany). ** EUR 22 per year (2 issues per year; incl. shipping and VAT for customers in Germany) and EUR 23 per year (2 issues per year; incl. shipping for customers outside Germany). *** EUR 200 per year (4 issues per year; incl. shipping and VAT). Your subscription will be renewed automatically every year until a written cancellation is sent to Dental Tribune International GmbH, Holbeinstr. 29, 04229 Leipzig, Germany, six weeks prior to the renewal date. Shipping Address Name Address Zip Code, City E-mail Date, Signature Country PayPal Credit Card Credit Card Number Expiration Date Security Code SUBSCRIBE NOW! F +49 341 48474 173 subscriptions@dental-tribune.com lead to caries and periodontal dis- ease if undisrupted. International, In an interview with Dental Tribune study leader Prof. David Thomas ex- plained that specialised alginates work in two ways: “Firstly, they di- rectly interact with the ‘sticky’ bi- ofilm matrix, which encases the bacteria, and modify the biofilm’s structure by binding to calcium. These effects make the biofilm less robust and more easily dis- rupted. Secondly, they work di- rectly on the bacteria themselves, changing their expression of quo- rum-sensing molecules (which control biofilm development) and making them more sensitive to the effects of conventional anti- biotic therapy.” The researchers have used the information about how alginates work to develop an inhalation therapy being tested on cystic fi- brosis patients. If successful, the treatment could be applied to help clear mucus obstructions in the lungs and potentially slow the pro- gression of the disease. In addi- tion, it could be used in other, more common respiratory dis- eases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The studies are also paving the way towards improved treatment of chronic skin wounds and combat of organ- isms that cause periodontal dis- ease, for example. Thomas explained that “the al- ginates may be useful in dentistry as an adjunct in the management of chronic biofilm infections”, such as “peri-implantitis, where the non-toxic agent may be ap- plied directly to aid disruption of biofilms and stop biofilms reform- ing on treated surfaces”. The project was launched with funding from AlgiPharma in 2007 for exploratory microbiology studies, but developed into a nine- year collaboration between the university’s Advanced Therapies Group (ATG), AlgiPharma, and Car- diff and Vale University Health Board. The ATG’s collaborative net- work helped attract researchers with expertise in specialist areas, paving the way for human clinical studies across the EU and Scandi- navia. Dr Philip Rye, Research and De- velopment Director at AlgiPharma, said: “The collaboration has ena- bled us to make significant ad- vances in the development of a new drug, which is now in human clinical studies, and has recently been included in the US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation drug develop- ment pipeline.” The project is a winning final- ist in Cardiff University’s 2017 In- novation and Impact Awards.