GROWTH FACTOR REGENERATION OF PERIODONTAL TISSUE

THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY IS THE REGENERATION OF SOFT AND HARD TISSUE LOST DUE TO PERIODONTAL DISEASE. THIS WILL BE TESTED IN PHASE I BY: (1) FORMULATION OF BIOSYNTHETIC HUMAN GROWTH FACTORS IN A VARIETY OF DELIVERY VEHICLES; (2) DETERMINATION OF BIOAVAILABILITY IN VITRO OF GROWTH FACTORS IN THE VEHICLES; AND (3) EVALUATION OF THE COMBINATION GROWTH FACTOR/VEHICLE IN VIVO FOR THE ABILITY TO REPAIR AND REPLACE TISSUE LOST TO PERIODONTAL DISEASE. CURRENT THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PERIODONTAL DISEASES RANGE FROM THOROUGH CLEANING WITH SCALING AND/OR PLANING OF THE ROOT SURFACE IN MILD CASES TO SURGICAL INTERVENTION INVOLVING GINGIVECTOMY, FLAP SURGERY, OR BONE SURGERY IN SEVERE CASES. ANTIBIOTICS OR AN ANTIMICROBIAL MOUTHWASH MAY BE EMPLOYED TO CONTROL THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA IMPLICATED IN PATHOLOGY OF THE DISEASE. THERE ARE NO CURRENT THERAPIES FOR THE REPAIR AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF LOST TISSUE. DATA DEMONSTRATING GROWTH FACTOR MEDICATED REPLACEMENT OF LOST TISSUE WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR A PHASE II APPLICATION FOR EXPANDED IN VIVO SAFETY AND EFFICACY STUDIES AND IN VITRO EXPERIMENTS TO DEFINE THE MECHANISM(S) OF THE REPAIR.