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REMOVAL OF DENTAL CALCULUS REMAINS A MAJOR CONSUMER EXPENSE OF ORAL HEALTH CARE.

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 4852
Amount: $50,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1986
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
4204 Gardendale Suite 102
San Antonio, TX 78229
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 KENNETH R ETZEL
 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
 (512) 691-0925
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

REMOVAL OF DENTAL CALCULUS REMAINS A MAJOR CONSUMER EXPENSE OF ORAL HEALTH CARE. PRODUCTS DESIGNED TO INHIBIT SUPRA- GINGIVAL CALCULUS FORMATION MAY HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON HOSTMINERAL METABOLISM, AS BIOLOGIC CALCIFICATION OCCURS BY SIMILAR PROCESSES IN ANIMALS AND BACTERIA. DIPHOSPHONATES AND POLYPHOSPHATES ARE PARTLY SUCCESSFUL, AS THEY BLOCK GROWTH OF CRYSTALS; HOWEVER, THEY MAY NOT INHIBIT THE INITIAL DEPOSITION OF MINERAL. TOPICAL ANTIMICROBIAL SUBSTANCES REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PLAQUE AND DELAY ITS MATURA-TION; HOWEVER, MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH IMMATURE PLAQUE POSSESS THE ABILITY TO CALCIFY. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL OF INTERFERING WITH SYNTHESIS OF CALCIFIABLE PROTEOLIPID, A PROTEIN REQUIRED FOR INITIATION OF CALCIFICATION IN ORAL BACTERIA. IN PHASE I, THE GENE FORBACTERIONEMA MATRUCHOTII PROTEOLIPID WILL BE CLONED. TWO STRATEGIES WILL BE USED INVOLVING PRECIPITATION OF PROTEOLIPID-SPECIFIC MRNA USING ANTIBODIES AND/OR SYNTHESIS OF CDNA OLIGOMERS BASED ON THE PROTEIN AMINO ACID SEQUENCE. THE GENES WILL BE USED IN PHASE II TO IDENTIFY MECHANISMS FOR INHIBITING PROTEOLIPID SYNTHESIS. THIS APPROACH HAS THEADVANTAGE OF PREVENTING MICROBIAL CALCIFICATION WITHOUT ALTERING NORMAL HOST MINERALIZATION, AS GENE EXPRESSION IN EUKARYOTES AND PROKARYOTES DIFFERS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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