RESEARCH - Fighting gum disease with gene therapy

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Fighting Gum Disease With Gene Therapy

MedicalNewsToday.com

Article Date: 12 Dec 2008 - 4:00 PST

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.

The findings will be published online Dec 11 in advance of print

publication in Gene Therapy.

Using gene transfer to treat life threatening conditions is not new,

but the U-M group is the first known to use the gene delivery approach

to show potential in treating chronic conditions such as periodontal

disease, said Giannobile, professor at the U-M School of

Dentistry and principal investigator on the study.

" Gene therapy has not been used in non-life threatening disease.

(Periodontal disease) is more disabling than life threatening, " said

Giannobile, who also directs the Michigan Center for Oral Health

Research and has an appointment in the U-M College of Engineering.

" This is so important because the next wave of improving medical

therapeutics goes beyond saving life, and moves forward to improving

the quality of life. "

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http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/132852.php

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