Prevent cavities, act early...
Bionamel Group have developed a process to produce fully functional human enamel matrix proteins which have the potential to act as a preventative coating to stop cavity formation. Interested in finding out more? Read on and take our survey to help us help you!
Potential Applications
Enamel Matrix Protein Formulations for...
- Preventive coating on teeth potentially preventing cavity formation.
- Arresting and actively reversing early caries by creating new enamel.
- Restoring the naturally strong protection that enamel provides.
- Improving oral health, prevent infections, help treat inflammation and gum diseases.
Why real human proteins?
Animal v Human
The synthetic production of real human proteins is very difficult and so animal proteins are often “harvested” and used in human medicine, which may not be efficient or ethical.
Cost & Ethics
There is a general underlying unmet need to find cost-effective and ethical alternatives to the use of animal proteins in medicine and pharmacy.
Bacterial Systems
Alternatively, some proteins can be expressed in well-established bacterial systems; however, this generally does not render the proteins fully functional which means they may not be useful in medical or dental applications.
Enamel matrix proteins are key proteins that help tooth enamel form during fetal development and have applications in dentistry, such as the treatment of periodontitis. To date, enamel matrix proteins have been taken from developing teeth in pigs. Most attempts to produce them have targeted the production of full-length proteins in the bacteria commonly used in research laboratories, but this is fundamentally limited as it cannot perform humanised modifications. Nor it can cleave full-length proteins into smaller peptides, which is what would naturally happen to create the fully functional materials in nature.
We have found a way to efficiently produce and isolate fully functional human enamel proteins using a yeast system, and those proteins can have great applications in dentistry. The proteins are humanised and functionally proteolysed, which is how they are produced naturally during tooth formation. Our technology envisages providing a non-invasive solution for the prevention and early treatment of caries, thereby reducing the need for uncomfortable surgical procedures. It is based on the mechanism of the natural tooth formation, which is templated by the enamel matrix protein. These proteins can bind calcium and involve the mineralisation of different body structures (e.g. bone/ teeth). The proteins we use are not naturally produced simultaneously, and they serve different purposes during tooth formation.
Preliminary Studies
Our technology is in the early stages of development, and therefore we are looking to gain insights into the features that potential users would like to see to inform the future. If you would like further information please get in touch with us, and take a moment to fill out our survey.
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