http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=584

The typical human mouth contains a writhing orgy of bacteria. Most of these microscopic organisms are benign, and some are even beneficial, but one particular variety is a conspicuous troublemaker: Streptococcus mutans. These ubiquitous bacteria 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-based company called Oragenics may have found a way to rid our mouths of these acid-excreting organisms for good. This would make cavities a thing of the past, and put no small number of dentists out of business. But despite the obvious benefits, there is potential for disaster.

Oragenics' approach to stopping tooth decay is straightforward: they have used 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, giving these new bacteria an edge over the existing organisms. Once the modified bacteria get a toehold in the mouth, the existing population of S. mutans will be methodically wiped out, leaving the non-acid-producing bacteria in its place. In the absence of acid-producing bacteria, the teeth have little to fear. Oragenics calls this new treatment Replacement Therapy.

On the surface it seems like an elegant solution, but clearly there is the potential to upset delicate systems in nature, resulting in possible larger-scale side effects. If S. mutans is present in the ecosystem outside of mouths, there is a chance that the artificial strains might be accidentally introduced into those systems, possibly destroying the natural strains. The acidity in those environments might then be drastically reduced, resulting in unpredictable and irreversible changes. This is a risk shared with many genetically modified organisms.

After extensive laboratory testing and animal trials with no observed side-effects, Oragenics has begun some early human trials. The first strains tested on humans have been deliberately crippled to require a daily "feeding" of a particular amino acid in order to survive. Using this method, researchers are confident that any of the bacteria which escape into the wild will not long survive. Also, the first people to be infected with the improved strain are denture wearers, which allows the subjects to remove their teeth at any time in case of trouble. The spouses of the subjects are also cooperating with the study, so researchers can reinforce their confidence that the bacteria is not horizontally transmissible, such as through kissing.

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Old, but I'm sure most have not seen it. Of course, I'm pretty sure there are people on this board that think such experiments should be halted and people should continue to live with cavities, right?

6/26/2006 6:58:56 PM

sounds like it has potential

what is GM?

6/26/2006 7:05:30 PM

Quote :

"there are people on this board that think such experiments should be halted and people should continue to live with cavities"

so its either one or the other, huh?

6/26/2006 7:06:16 PM

That's damn interesting.

6/26/2006 7:16:45 PM

GM = genetic modification

6/26/2006 7:19:32 PM

A set of fully developed teeth in an adult human don't need to be brushed nearly as often as suggested. Tooth enamel is resistant to most bacteria, and gums fight infections and heal themselves.

6/26/2006 7:46:20 PM

^ moron

that may be true for someone in their twenties, but good luck with that plan going into your forties

might want to start a denture fund

[Edited on June 26, 2006 at 7:49 PM. Reason : s]

6/26/2006 7:49:00 PM

This just sounds bad

6/26/2006 7:55:13 PM

Have fun with bad breath and plaque

6/26/2006 8:22:38 PM

They really need to focus on automobiles if they want to avoid bankruptcy.

6/27/2006 2:40:04 AM

i saw this thread and thought "so things are so bad that General Motors has gone into the dentistry industry to recoup their losses accumulated thanks to shoddy management and unpopular products?"

6/27/2006 8:32:52 AM

i was hoping this thread was about Grand Marnier

6/27/2006 8:56:06 AM

I thought this was going to be a new innovation from General Motors:

6/27/2006 9:07:32 AM

Quote :

"The first strains tested on humans have been deliberately crippled to require a daily "feeding" of a particular amino acid in order to survive. Using this method, researchers are confident that any of the bacteria which escape into the wild will not long survive. "

Didn't they do something like this in the book Jurassic Park? That didn't work to well for them. I dunno, as nice as it may be to not have to worry about cavities ever again, there's just something slightly unnerving about this.

6/27/2006 11:42:12 AM

i am probably too biased in favour of genetic modification to have a good go at this thread

6/27/2006 4:01:36 PM