Approach to Periodontal Disease Using PLGA Nanoparticles

Abstract

 It has been reported that oral health is closely related to overall health, and dental health management can be considered an integral part of general health management. Oral biofilm is widely recognized as a key factor in the etiology of periodontal disease. The primary goal in preventing periodontal disease is to inhibit the formation and reformation of oral biofilms, which necessitates the development of highly effective biofilm inhibiting materials. Therefore, we developed IPMP (isopropylmethylphenol) loaded PLGA (polylactic acid-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (NP) with high permeability to biofilms, aimed at effectively preventing periodontal disease.

 Active ingredient-loaded PLGA NP are thought to be capable of delivering drugs deeper into biofilms compared to the active ingredient alone. IPMP not only has a strong antibacterial effect but is also less irritating and highly safe and widely used in cosmetics and other products, including toothpaste. We developed three prototypes of toothpaste: one that did not contain either IPMP or PLGA NP, one that contained IPMP, and one that contained the IPMP-loaded PLGA NP, and conducted clinical trials. The increase in oral bacterial counts was suppressed in the IPMP-loaded PLGA NP group compared with the IPMP-only group. The amount of hemoglobin in the saliva tended to be lower in the IPMP-loaded PLGA NP group than in the IPMP-only group. The sulfur compound concentration tended to be lower in the IPMP-loaded PLGA NP group than in the IPMP-only group. When PLGA NP containing the fluorescent component Coumarin were used, the fluorescent component remained on the tongue even after rinsing.

 Clinical trials using IPMP-loaded PLGA NP demonstrated reductions in bacterial counts, subgingival bleeding, and improved halitosis. These results suggest that IPMP-loaded PLGA NP are effective in inhibiting biofilm formation.