Dental vaccine for inhibiting periodontitis

Abstract

A vaccine for preventing or at least inhibiting periodontitis of humans and animals, which is induced or deteriorated by the action of oral microorganisms, which comprises an antigen isolated from the pili of an oral microorganism capable of inducing and/or deteriorating periodontitis and having the pili on the cell surface. For example, antigens isolated from the pili of Actinomyces viscosus, Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinobacillus actinomycem comitans, Bacteroides gingivalus and mutant strains thereof may be used solely or in combination for the preparation of the present vaccine. In one embodiment, the vaccine comprises an antigen isolated from the pili of Actinomyces viscosus which is a representative periodontitis-inducing oral microorganisms in association with one or more other antigens isolated from other virulent oral microorganisms. The antigen isolated from the pili may effectively inhibit the adherence (infection) of the virulent oral microorganisms of at least same species to the surfaces of teeth and/or mucous membrane of an oral cavity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.